Kermi Tina Ledford

CHATSWORTH, Ga. — The former chief clerk of the Murray County Probate Court has been sentenced to 10 years, with one year in jail and nine years on probation, after pleading guilty to felony theft by taking of public funds, according to information provided by the Murray County clerk of court’s office.

Kermi Tina Ledford must also pay restitution of $100,000 to the Murray County sole commissioner’s office, pay court costs and surcharges, perform 240 hours of community service and forfeit her county retirement. She cannot be employed by any government office, nor any office where she would be handling funds. She is to report to the Murray County jail on Monday to start serving her time.

According to stipulations signed by Ledford in a court document, the charge involved the “theft of public funds by a government employee in breach of her duties as such employee,” and the “economic impact” was $100,000.

Prosecutors dropped a second charge of theft by taking as part of a negotiated plea deal.

According to the stipulations, Ledford was hired by the Murray County Sheriff’s Office as a dispatcher in August of 1990. She was hired by Probate Court in January of 1993. She was promoted to chief clerk in June of 2001. She was fired from that position in February of 2017.