A former Colorado sheriff once named national "Sheriff of the Year" has pleaded guilty to charges of trading meth for sex and was sentenced to 38 days in jail, KUSA-TV reports.

Patrick Sullivan, the 69-year-old former Arapahoe County sheriff, will serve his sentence in the county jail named after him, although he will be separated from the general jail population. He will also be on probation for two years.

"I apologize to the court, to the community, to my family," Sullivan said in court on Tuesday before being taken into custody. "There is no excuse for my behavior."

Deputy Attorney General Michael Dougherty called Sullivan "a man who's brought disgrace upon himself and law enforcement" and "a disgrace to the badge," the Denver TV station reports.

Sullivan was arrested in November in an undercover sting operation set up by a gay lover of his and another gay man, all of whom had previously smoked meth together, The Denver Post reports.

Sullivan served as sheriff for 18 years and was named "Sheriff of the Year" by the National Sheriffs' Association in 2001.