LITCHFIELD, Minn. — A former Meeker County sheriff’s deputy will serve five years of probation and perform 100 hours of volunteer work for stealing drugs from the county law enforcement center’s drug take-back box and stealing toys from a toy drive, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Travis Hal Sebring, 34, of Grove City, an Iraq War veteran said to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction, will serve no jail time if he complies with all conditions of the probation, including attendance at some sort of support group for addicts.

“I can’t even begin to say how sorry I am for the trust I have lost,” Sebring said Wednesday at his sentencing, taking full responsibility for the crimes.

He pleaded guilty Oct. 15 in Meeker County District Court to felony drug possession, gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor theft, and gross misdemeanor officer misconduct.

On two of the charges, felony drug possession and misdemeanor theft, Sebring was granted a stay of adjudication, meaning a conviction will not be entered on his record if he successfully completes probation. One of the theft charges was originally a felony, but Sebring pleaded to a gross misdemeanor per the plea agreement.

Three 10-day stints of jail time were stayed, but he could be ordered to serve the time if he has any probation violations. An additional five drug and theft-related charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Sebring was working for the Meeker County sheriff’s office in January when he was arrested on suspicion of stealing prescription or over-the-counter medications that were in a locked drug drop box.

Located in the Meeker County Law Enforcement Center in Litchfield, the drug drop box is set up for the public to safely dispose of unwanted medications.

Acting on suspicions that Sebring was taking the drugs, the sheriff’s office set up a controlled sting that — along with live surveillance video and a hidden camera — showed Sebring removing a bag of medications he then concealed in his pants pocket.

A subsequent search warrant executed at Sebring’s home yielded more than 100 prescription medications, the toys, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, as well as prescription medicine tablets in his squad car.

Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze took the misconduct personally.

“It is very difficult to lead a law enforcement agency and not take it personally when a deputy crosses the line,” he wrote in a statement read Wednesday in court. “The public questions our integrity based on your actions.”

Heartland Community Action Agency wondered if it should even do a toy drive in Litchfield this year, Cruze said, because of what happened during last year’s drive. “That stigma stays with us much longer than anyone realizes,” he wrote.

How could an “all-American kid,” as Sebring’s attorney referred to him, turn to drugs, crime and betrayal of his public office, resulting in nine felony, gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor charges for drug possession, theft and officer misconduct?

The defense and prosecution acknowledged that Sebring’s tour of duty in Iraq as part of the U.S. Navy left lasting scars, in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction.

His hearings had been previously delayed for about two months as Sebring entered inpatient treatment through U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Judge Michael Thompson compared Iraq veterans to those from the Vietnam War, in that many turn to alcohol and medication to “drown out” the horrific memories of wars more ethically murky than World War II was thought to be.

“I have no idea what you saw over there,” Thompson told Sebring, as Sebring nodded. “To expect that our veterans come back without being affected by that is ridiculous.”

Meeker County does not have a local “veterans court,” a specialized court at the county level meant for vets struggling with addiction and mental illness. Thompson said he would treat Sebring’s case as though it was in such a court, saying that because of PTSD, Sebring “lacked the substantial capacity for judgment” when the crime was committed.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m going along with the plea agreement,” Thompson added. “I’m not trying to justify what you did.”

He mandated that Sebring attend meetings of a support group, whether that be Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, or something else, and pay off his $1,000 fine through community service, separate from an additional 100 hours of volunteer work.

The sentencing was more complicated than a typical post-plea agreement hearing. Sebring violated his conditions of release the weekend after his October plea hearing, Meeker County Attorney Brandi Schiefelbein said, by purchasing alcohol.

Ultimately, Sebring was still not sentenced to any pronounced jail time. He will have to write letters of apology to Cruze and to Heartland Community Action Agency, in addition to the apology he gave Wednesday in court.