The former chief of Pembroke Rural Fire Department has been found guilty of embezzling more than $170,000 from the department, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, and received an active prison sentence.
Following about an hour of jury deliberation on Wednesday, Herman Junior Jones was found guilty of stealing $170,459.53 from the department during a three-year period, according to Lt. Brian Duckworth, arson investigator for the Sheriff’s Office. The trial began on Tuesday.
Superior Court Judge Frank Floyd sentenced Jones to a minimum of four years, 10 months and maximum of six years, seven months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $145,459.53 in restitution.
Jones was appointed chief in July 2010 and was terminated in April 2012 when the missing money was discovered during an audit. Before that, he served as the department’s chairman.