By C1 Staff
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mo. — The former sheriff of St. Clair County, Mo., pleaded guilty to stealing property recovered in criminal cases and to selling a stolen firearm.
The Nevada Daily Mail reports that Ronald E. Snodgrass pleaded guilty to theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. Snodgrass was sheriff for three terms between 2001 and 2012. He lost reelection in 2012.
During his tenure, the St. Clair County Jail handled more than 100 federal inmates for a fee, which provided the county with the majority of its income.
Snodgrass admitted that he illegally took possession of a John Deere zero turn mower, which was recovered stolen property. The owner of the mower had reported it stolen on Nov. 4, 2008, and received a payment of $13,638 from their insurance company. The mower was recovered by the sheriff’s department on Aug. 14, 2009.
The mower was in good condition and worth more than $5,000.
Snodgrass contacted the insurance company on Set. 2 and claimed the mower had a tow bill and storage fees of $525. At the time, the mower was in the impound lot and was being held as evidence in a criminal case. There was no legal authority for Snodgrass to charge storage fees for items such as stolen property.
Snodgrass informed the insurance company that he would be interested in purchasing the mower in exchange for taking care of the tow bill, storage fees and payment of $500 to the company. When they said the mower would have to be assessed for salvage, Snodgrass said the tow and storage bills had increased to over $600. He once again said he would take care of the bill and give the insurance company an extra $500, which the company accepted.
Snodgrass admitted in court that there were never any storage fees. Under state law, any unclaimed property should’ve been sold at a sheriff’s auction.
Under terms of his plea agreement, Snodgrass must forfeit the mower and a 2009 Polaris Ranger UTV to the government. Snodgrass allegedly obtained the Polaris Ranger illegally on Sept. 29, 2012.