Chuck Vette pleads no contest to misdemeanor

    Chase County Commissioner Chuck Vette has pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor charge for using county equipment to help a private business.
    Vette entered the plea to a charge of theft of services $0-$500 Oct. 23 before Judge Edward Steenburg in Chase County Court.
    A second misdemeanor charge of official misconduct was dismissed at the request of the prosecution under a plea agreement.
    Steenburg fined Vette $100 and ordered him to pay $250 in restitution.
    Vette originally pleaded not guilty to both charges, which carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
    A no contest plea means the defendant does not admit guilt, but it is treated as a conviction by the court.
    Because of a conflict of interest due to Vette’s position as a county commissioner, the Lincoln County Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
    According to court documents, the offense occurred April 18.
    Lincoln County Deputy Attorney Kortnei Hoeft said Vette was accused of using a county-owned front end loader to help a business unload a truck. The business did not face any charges, she said.
    The official misconduct charge was filed because, under the statute, Vette was considered as only having access to the machinery through his duties as a county commissioner.