PRICE, Utah – A former Carbon County Sheriff agreed to a plea deal Friday relating to allegations he used a county-issued vehicle and trailer to move personal belongings and that he used a county-issued gas card improperly.

Former sheriff James Cordova said he wanted to put allegations of misusing public money behind him. As part of the plea and abeyance, he will pay restitution amounting to $2,166.35 plus interest and perform 80 hours of community service within 12 months, according to court documents. The plea related to a third-degree felony charge of misuse of public money, and a misdemeanor charge for having the wrong license plate on a trailer was dismissed.

Cordova was accused of using his county-issued vehicle and a sheriff’s search and rescue trailer to move personal items from his home in Carbon County to his new home in St. George. Prosecutors also claimed Cordova used a county gas card to purchase more than $2,000 in gasoline between December 16, 2013 and April 13 of 2014.

The former sheriff apologized for the incident and stated it was never his intent to violate the law or use his position for personal gain. He said he takes “full responsibility for my poor judgment and I take full responsibility for any sanctions that have been levied against me.”

He also apologized to his former constituents, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and the Utah Sheriff’s Association. A full copy of the statement he planned to read in court, provided by his attorneys, is below: