A handcuffed Chuck Moody was led out of the courtroom and into the hallways of the building he used to help maintain after being sentenced to a three-year prison term Friday morning for theft in office.
"I truly am sorry for my involvement in this," Moody, 57, said prior to his sentencing by Washington County Common Pleas Judge Ed Lane.
"I had gotten away from the man I truly am, and now I'm getting back to my family and the faith I have lost over the years," Moody added. "And I'm sorry to the citizens of Washington County. This was my fault."
Moody pleaded guilty in July to a third-degree felony charge of theft in office. He had also been charged with felony counts of bribery and tampering with records.
The charge to which he pleaded left him facing up to five years in prison.
Moody's attorney, Nancy Brum, asked for leniency.
"If prison is considered, we would ask for a one-year prison sentence as Mr. Moody's health is poor and he has no additional economic resources," she said.
Brum also noted that Moody had already served nine days in jail - seven in West Virginia and two in Ohio - prior to the sentencing hearing, and asked that Moody be credited for that time served.
Lane sentenced the former county building maintenance supervisor to three years in prison, less the nine days served, and ordered him to pay $62,000 in restitution to the Washington County Commission, in addition to court costs.
Moody was also ordered to forfeit his 1991 Chevrolet pickup truck, worth an estimated $1,400, as part of that settlement.
Moody was indicted in January of this year on charges that included theft in office after he was accused of taking kickbacks from a Meigs County business, Universal Products, that sold cleaning supplies, light bulbs and other items to Washington County. The kickbacks occurred between the fall of 2008 and summer of 2009.
"He held an office of trust, and the offense was related to his position with a public agency," Lane said before pronouncing sentence.
The judge also noted that Moody had a prior record in Centerville, Iowa, that included a theft in the third degree in 1979 and a 1981 sentence to 22 years in prison for arson, burglary and theft, also in Iowa.
Moody apparently only served about six years of that sentence, as in 1988 he was convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and possession of marijuana in Martin County, Fla.
Washington County Prosecutor Jim Schneider said Sam Seckman, owner of Universal Products, agreed to testify against Moody earlier this year and would not face felony charges or jail time in exchange for that testimony.
"But he's going to plead guilty to falsification of documents and will face charges in Marietta Municipal Court," Schneider said. "He will also pay between $23,000 and $25,000 restitution to the county."
Schneider said that although Seckman would not go to prison for his part in the kickback scheme, he could be placed on probation for a time.
Washington County Commissioner Cora Marshall said Friday that she was glad the county would be reimbursed for its losses.
"It's good that the county will recoup what was taken from the taxpayers," she said. "And the county now does background checks on employees that would likely have prevented this situation if they had been in effect at that time."
Marshall said the incident has resulted in county administrator and clerk Paul Cunningham putting policies in place that require at least two bids on any purchases over $100, and all such purchases must be approved by both Cunningham and the commissioners.
"It provides for accountability," Cunningham said. "And we've already saved money by getting second bids on purchases."
