The firefighter who stole nearly $75,000 from his union has resigned from the Columbia Fire Department and accepted a plea bargain of six years’ probation after negotiations with the District Attorney’s office.
Mike Jones pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft over $10,000 and was given a suspended sentence of six years, District Attorney Brent Cooper told The Daily Herald.
“I consider it a fair resolution,” Cooper said. “The ball is in Mr. Jones’ court. If he goes six years without getting into trouble, he’ll avoid serving time in prison. If he makes a mistake and commits another crime, he will pay the price with the maximum amount of prison time — six years.”
Jones was indicted by a Maury County grand jury in January and placed on administrative leave without pay by the city.