Washington County Sheriff Donald Edson handed in his resignation on Monday after pleading guilty to a felony fraud charge.
Edson was charged with making false claims that he a forged letter with the sheriff’s department in order to conceal the nature of a $26,000 payment made from the department’s bank account.
In a deal with prosecutors, Edson avoided jail time and was ordered to perform 250 hours of community service and pay $32,000 in restitution.
Edson told Vermont District Judge Patricia Zimmerman that he was sorry he had let down the state’s law enforcement community, his deputies and his family.
Edson pleaded guilty to being involved in a fraud deal with the Lamoille County Sheriff’s office.
Edson told the court that he never imagined that this would be the way his 33-year law enforcement career would end.