Two former officials with a suburban Houston utility district have been sentenced to four years in prison for misusing $100,000 in public money to buy, among other things, furniture for their homes.

Steve Strange and Robert Carlile were board members for the Northwest Harris County Municipal Utility District.

As Richard Connelly wrote today on the Houston Press' Hair Balls blog, "Who the hell pays any attention to what MUD directors do?" In this case, local prosecutors did.

Read the whole press release (below) from DA Kenneth Magidson's office.

Former MUD Officials Get 4 Years for Public Servant Thefts

(Houston, TX) -- Steve Strange and Robert Carlile have received four-year prison terms for the theft by public servants of more than $100,000 from Northwest Harris County Municipal Utility District (MUD) 16, District Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced Friday.

Evidence in the case was developed by the District Attorney's Public Integrity Division, which investigates complaints involving the misuse of public funds.

Court documents showed that the two former utility district board directors used their district credit card and district checks to purchase residential furnishings, building materials and other goods and services over a five-year period that began in late 2000.

"This case shows that the District Attorney's Office takes violations of the public trust very seriously," Magidson said. "Offenders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Strange, 44, and Carlile, 54, benefitted personally from the purchases, which were made without the consent or knowledge of the board.

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 26. They had asked for probation from 248th District Judge Joan Campbell, who assessed the prison terms at the conclusion of a hearing late Thursday afternoon.

"The evidence supported the judge's sentence," said Carvana Cloud, who prosecuted the case for the DA's Public Integrity Division. "The court sent a clear message that the citizens of Harris County will not tolerate theft and deception at their expense. Justice has been served."

The utility district provides water, sewage and recreational services for about 1,000 homes on about 625 acres in the general area of State Highway 6 and FM 529 in northwest Harris County.

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