Former Christian County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Tucker will spend 180 days in jail after accepting a plea deal Wednesday afternoon in Circuit Court.
Tucker pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking, over $10,000. The deal comes with a recommended 5-year sentence that will be probated after he serves the 180 days in jail. Tucker must also pay $55,000 in restitution to the Christian County Juvenile Services Foundation, which oversees the Juvenile Drug Court.
Tucker served as president of the foundation when he took the money, according to Kentucky State Police.
Prior to sentencing, Tucker asserted that his true crime was being a bad accountant.
Tucker apologized for betraying the public trust.
Judge Self outlined the history of the privately-funded Juvenile Drug Court program that is one of a few remaining in the state after the General Assembly stopped including funding for the courts in the budget about a decade ago.
The judge says law enforcement officers are also victims in the case, because Tucker’s actions are a stain on their profession. He says a community who wants to have confidence in its law enforcement is also the victim and he expressed disappointment in Tucker’s explanation for his actions.
Tucker will pay the restitution out of his pension fund and was given until Monday to file the proper paperwork before he must submit himself to the custody of the Christian County Jail.
Judge Self said some in the community may believe Tucker’s penalty is not enough or too severe, but he believes it’s a fair deal.
Tucker spent a large part of his law enforcement career as a school resource officer at Christian County High School.
Former Todd and Logan County assistant commonwealth’s attorney Justin Crocker was the special prosecutor in the case.
Listen to the entire hearing below: