BEDFORD – Former Guthrie Township Trustee Robert Awbrey as part of a plea agreement pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to a charge of official misconduct in Lawrence County Superior Court I.
Judge John Plummer III dismissed the charge of theft and suspended the 910-day sentence to the Indiana Department of Correction to two years of non-supervised probation. Judge Plummer ordered Awbrey to pay restitution.
Awbrey was arrested in July 2019. Prosecuting the case for the state was Prosecutor Sam Arp. Awbrey was represented by Attorney Scott Callahan.
Awbrey also faced a civil suit regarding the matter. The complaint, filed by the Indiana State Attorney General’s Office, specified the amount of money Awbrey was overpaid in the course of his duties as Guthrie Township Trustee.
- Overpaid Compensation – $14,678.46
- Overpaid Office Rent – $1,200
- 13 Checks with no supporting documentation – $10,233.88
- Cost of Investigation by State Board of Accounts – $6,767.17
- Additional Treble damages in the amount of – $52,224.68
- Attorney fees and post-judgment of eight percent interest
- Total: $85,104.19
Awbrey was ordered by the court to repay $32,879.51 as the result of the civil case judgment, signed on Monday by Judge Nathan Nikirk, Awbrey, his attorney Scott Callahan, and Deputy Attorney General Marielle Riedle.
He is required to make an initial lump sum payment of $16,879.51 within the next 30 days. He will pay the remaining balance in $500 monthly installments starting sixty days from Tuesday.
