'Cannot apologize enough for letting people down': Fmr. Logan County Commissioner indicted for embezzlement
LOGAN COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) - A former Logan County District 2 Commissioner has been indicted for embezzlement following a months-long investigation.
39-year-old Kody Ellis was sworn into office in January 2021. Two years later, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation requested a closed-door meeting with Ellis after a Board of County Commissioners meeting on January 13.
That investigation was turned over to the Logan County District Attorney's Office who later recused themselves due to a conflict of interest.
The case was then handed to the State Attorney General's Office.
According to a Multi-County Grand Jury of the State of Oklahoma indictment filed on March 24, Ellis was found guilty of embezzlement.
On or between July 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022, Ellis allegedly fueled his personal vehicle with gasoline belonging to Logan County District 2 while receiving a monthly stipend of $700 from Logan County as reimbursement for mileage.
While the documents don't detail how much Ellis allegedly misused, Ellis told KFOR it was somewhere between $1,300 and $1,800 worth of county gasoline.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on Friday.
Come Monday afternoon, Ellis was scheduled to appear in Logan County District Court for an arraignment.
Prior to his arraignment, Ellis approached News 4 and was adamant about sharing his side of the story.
Ellis told KFOR he doesn't deny the allegations. Instead, Ellis said he understands what he did was wrong.
He added he was in a "bad" position in life when the alleged misuse of funds happened.
News 4 asked if Ellis would do an on-camera interview to which he said he would, but not until after he was released from jail.
As Ellis awaited his arraignment, a local bondsman sat with him, ready to pay Ellis' $5,000 bond.
The State of Oklahoma was represented by Assistant Attorney General, Ricky Lutz.
After Ellis' arraignment, he signed his bond papers with the Logan County Court Clerk.
He was then escorted to the Detention Center by a deputy for booking.
Ellis was released within hours.
News 4 waited by the jail for three hours for an interview with Ellis.
After his release, he sent a text to News 4 saying, "I would like to give you my statement at a later time. With everything going on today, I need time to process. The biggest thing I want to say in my statement is that I apologize and cannot apologize enough for letting people down, letting my county down. My lapse in judgement and logical thinking during a time that was rough does not excuse the fact of what was done."
If Ellis is found guilty, he could face a Department of Corrections sentence for a term not less than one year nor more than 10 years, and a fine equal to triple the amount of money embezzled and ordered to pay restitution to the victim.
The State Attorney General's Office was not available for an interview Monday morning.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation declined to go on-camera.
News 4 reached out to Logan County District 2 for a statement. They responded with "no comment."
Ellis' next court appearance will be April 27 at 9 a.m.