Two-Bit Thief

The Arizona Republic has a nice quote from Special Prosecutor Grant Woods: "This sheriff, for all the good he did, ended up being a two-bit thief, day after day, month after month,"

Ousted Apache County Sheriff Brian Hounshell was sentenced to three years probation and one year deferred jail sentence in Maricopa County Superior Court on Friday. A deferred jail sentence means that the defendant has a grace period in which to demonstrate that he should not be incarcerated-in Hounshell's case six months.

Hounshell, 41, who was Apache County sheriff from 1999 until his recent resignation as part of a plea agreement, was originally charged with multiple counts, including conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and theft. In September, he was allowed to plead guilty to one count of solicitation for misuse of public monies. Source: Arizona Republic Newspaper

Apache County occupies the North East corner of Arizona covering 11,127 square miles. Apache County is larger than some states and is the third largest of 15 counties in Arizona.

Under the leadership of Sheriff David G. Murray, the Apache County Sheriff's Office is responsible for the full time Law Enforcement duties in Apache County including unincorporated towns and housing sub-divisions. Source: Apache County Sheriff's Office