LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. — Former Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely was convicted of two felonies in 2021: Theft of Property in the First Degree and Use of Official or Office for Personal Gain. Now, the Alabama Court of Appeals has upheld that conviction.
Alabama Attorney Steve Marshall said of the case, “I am pleased that the Court today upheld the conviction of Mike Blakely and that he will not evade justice for his abuses of the public’s trust. I am proud of the excellent work performed by the attorneys and agents of our Special Prosecutions Division, who handled the case at trial, with the valuable assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
The Alabama AG's office summarized the case. "[Court documents show that] in August 2021, a Limestone County jury convicted Blakely of using his official position for personal gain and of first-degree theft of property.
Blakely’s ethics conviction stemmed from him taking more than $29,000 in interest-free loans from a safe holding his inmates’ money. The jury heard testimony that Blakely routinely directed his subordinate to give him hundreds of dollars in exchange for IOU notes that accumulated in the safe. When Blakely’s debt got high enough, he wrote his subordinate a personal check that would have bounced had Blakely not told her to hold the check until he had sufficient funds. Blakely’s theft conviction resulted from him stealing $4,000 of his campaign’s money."
Blakely will serve concurrent three-year sentences in the Franklin County Jail, the maximum available sentence under Alabama’s sentencing guidelines.
READ: Mike Blakely conviction upheld
READ: Mike Blakely verdict