Jan. 8—Felony charges against a former Pittsburg County Sheriff were dismissed Wednesday as part of a negotiated plea agreement in the case.
Former Sheriff Chris Morris, 50, was originally charged in May 2024 with felony counts of embezzlement of state property and two felony counts of bribery by a public official.
The felony embezzlement charge stemmed to the alleged sale of a personally owned utility vehicle to the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office. Morris was also accused of receiving a discount for a lift kit on a personal side-by-side in exchange for up charging repair invoices on sheriff patrol vehicles. The second count or bribery involved hail damage being repaired for free on a personal vehicle owned by Morris “in exchange for his promise to provide future business” from his department for future repairs.
The three felony charges were dismissed Wednesday with Morris pleading no c contest to a misdemeanor count of embezzlement for the sale of the personally owned UTV to the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office.
“The state further alleges the defendant negotiated a trade-in value of $31,099 for the Polaris with Vicars Powersports based on his representation to them that the vehicle had added accessories, including but not limited to, a lift kit, that increased it value,” the charge states. “The state alleged further that defendant has previously removed these accessories from the vehicle when he negotiated both the trade-in value of the Polaris and the purchase price to be paid by the sheriff’s department.”
The charge continues to state Morris received a direct and/or indirect interest in the transaction by obtaining a new 2024 Can Am UTV from the dealer when he traded in the Polaris UTV “for an inflated value and arraigning for the sheriff’s department to purchase the vehicle.”
Court records show Morris received a two-year deferred sentence with no supervision and is ordered to pay $600 in restitution and a fine of $500.
“This plea covers all alleged crimes that may be or could be under investigation as a result of the circumstances and investigation that led to the filing” of the felony charges.
Morris officially resigned from his office on Jan. 2 and did not take his third term in office as part of an agreed upon settlement agreement with Pittsburg County Commissioners.
The Commissioners in May 2024 voted to file a document in Pittsburg County District Court calling for the sheriff’s removal. The petition alleged Morris willfully and habitually, “with bad or evil purpose,” neglected the duties of his office by acting in an “inexcusably reckless manner” after felony charges of embezzlement and bribery by a public official were filed against Morris.
According to the Jul. 12, 2024, agreed order in the case, Morris agreed to “resign from office on the last day of his current term of office or on Jan. 2, 2025, whichever is later, and agrees not to be sworn in or otherwise take office as Pittsburg County Sheriff for the four-year term beginning Jan. 2, 2025.”
The order stated Morris’ suspension was to remain in effect with pay through the last day of his current term of office or on Jan. 2, 2025 “whichever is later,” the order stated.
In his resignation letter, Morris said it was an honor and a privilege to serve as the county’s sheriff for eight years.
“The citizens of Pittsburg County have always supported me, and it is greatly appreciated,” Morris wrote in his letter.
Morris, who used the term “retiring” in his letter, said he is going to “pursue and focus on personal goals and business for a while” and that he will “run for office again soon.”