Sheriff Going To Jail
Sheriff Going To Jail A former sheriff of Buncombe County, North Carolina has been sentenced on Monday in a case that involved him taking bribes from video poker operators. Bobby Medford will serve fifteen years in prison for the crime.

Medford was the sheriff for twelve years. He was convicted of taking bribes from video poker operators along with three other officers. The three were involved in the bribe scheme and were shown little mercy by the sentencing judge.

"You abused that power in order to enrich yourself. Public corruption is a cancer on our society. The essence of these violations is a betrayal of public trust," said U.S. District Court Judge Tim Ellis.

The bribery scheme netted Medford over $300,000. Even with the conviction, Medford's attorney claimed that the former sheriff deserved a lighter sentence.

"I think it is clear he had done a number of good and beneficial things in this community," said Stephen Lindsay. assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Edwards did not feel the sentence was long enough. "The defendant occupied a position of extraordinary power. This defendant abused that for his own enrichment and that of his cronies," said Edwards.