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Mar 25, 2008 2:44 pm US/Central
Rockwall D.A. Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Rockwall County District Attorney Ray Sumrow has been sentenced to four years in prison for theft by a public servant.
On Monday a Dallas County jury found Sumrow guilty of using money from an office fund to buy computer equipment for personal use.
Sumrow has steadfastly denied the charges, only admitting to bookkeeping errors.
Sumrow could've had a jury decide his punishment; instead he left it up to Judge John Nelms, whose choices ranged from as little as probation to a sentence up to 10 years.
When the sentence was handed down Judge Nelms told CBS 11 News that he came to the decision based on Sumrow's admitted recordkeeping mistakes and the fact that more should be expected from public servants. ""The severity of the crime, the fact that he is held to a higher standard and the fact that this sends a message to others who might be tempted to do the same thing," Nelms said.
In addition to the four year sentence Sumrow was fined $9652, plus court costs.
A 2007 two-count indictment accused Sumrow of forging the signature of an assistant district attorney on two checks from an office account in order to buy electronics. Both checks were used at Fry's Electronics in Dallas. According to the indictment one check was from February 2006 for nearly $550. The other was from November 2006 for nearly $1,400.
The jury also found that Sumrow bought airline tickets for his girlfriend and collected expense money for trips he never took. The jury couldn't reach a verdict on charges of records tampering and forgery.
After the sentencing Sumrow was led out of the courthouse in handcuffs and taken to the Rockwall County Jail. The felony conviction means his immediate removal from office.
Sumrow posted an appeal bond at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, and had nothing to say to CBS 11 News as he left the jail. He will be suspended from office during the appeal process .
Sumrow had served as the Rockwall District Attorney since 1987.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
