Ex-Sheriff Pleads Guilty To Stealing From Department

INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Putnam County Sheriff Mark Frisbie on Friday pleaded guilty to federal program theft.

Prosecutors said Frisbie, 38, used a Sheriff's Department credit card to make unlawful purchases of nearly $13,000 between January 2006 and March 2007.

The U.S. attorney said some of the federal money was diverted to cover expenses incurred by Frisbie's private company and some money was used to pay for supplies related to Frisbie's re-election campaign.

Frisbie did not comment when he left court in Indianapolis Friday morning.

"There's no trying to shove anything under the rug. He's standing up and admitted, 'Look, I'm embarrassed, this is catastrophic, what I did is wrong and I have to stand up and take full and complete responsibility for that,'" Frisbie's attorney, Robert Hammerle, told 6News' Jack Rinehart last week.

Frisbie faces up to 10 years in prison and as much as a $250,000 fine when he's sentenced in 30 to 60 days. He resigned from the sheriff's post on Aug. 15.