For Immediate Release:
June 27, 2023
For press inquiries only, contact:
Amanda Priest (334) 322-5694
Cameron Mixon (334) 242-7491
(MONTGOMERY)— Attorney General Steve Marshall today announced the conviction of former Barbour County Sheriff Leroy Upshaw on a felony ethics charge. Upshaw, 52, of Eufaula appeared in Barbour County Circuit Court and pled guilty to allegations charging him with using his office or official position for personal gain, a class B felony.
Upshaw was the sheriff of Barbour County for twelve years, serving from January 2007 to January 2019. At today’s plea hearing, Upshaw agreed that he, or a Sheriff’s Office employee acting at his direction, wrote Upshaw checks totaling $32,135 drawn from Sheriff’s Office bank accounts. Although the $32,135 was meant to support law enforcement and care for prisoners, Upshaw deposited those checks into bank accounts owned by Upshaw or his family.
“Abusing the taxpayers’ money will not be tolerated in our state, and I am pleased the defendant will be held accountable for betraying the public’s trust,” said Attorney General Marshall.
The Attorney General thanked the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts for their assistance in this case. General Marshall also commended the Special Agents of his Special Prosecutions Division who investigated the case, as well as Assistant Attorneys General Jasper B. Roberts, Jr., James Houts, and Nathan W. Mays who prosecuted.
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