Two former Adair County roads workers who sold county scrap metal to fund Christmas parties and retirement gifts have been sentenced to probation. According to the Omaha World-Herald, both Duane Jameson, the former roads supervisor, and Cindy Butcher, the former shop clerk, also received suspended two-year prison sentences Tuesday. Jameson received three years of probation, Butcher two. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office says if they successfully complete probation, Jameson and Butcher will not go to prison. A judge still must decide how much restitution the pair owe the county.

The state is seeking a total of $26,150 in damages from the two, with $19,734 of proceeds related to the sale of scrap metal and other county property, just over 5-thousand dollars for the cost of an audit and a little more than 14-hundred dollars in attorneys’ fees related to the audit, according to court documents.
The misconduct came to light after the results of a special investigation by the State Auditor’s Office were announced on Feb. 1st, 2013. Both Jameson and Butcher pleaded guilty in March to third-degree fraud, an aggravated misdemeanor; and misconduct in office, a serious misdemeanor. Both were originally charged with misconduct and first-degree theft — a felony.

The 2013 Auditor’s Office report said Jameson and Butcher sold scrap metal, some of it material from old Adair County bridges, to at least one local salvage yard. Jameson told investigators that the money was going to fund employee Christmas parties and retirement gifts, according to the report. Officials placed Jameson and Butcher on administrative leave on Jan. 23, 2013. They resigned two days later, according to the county. Criminal charges were later filed against the pair, who were arrested last July.