Bartlesville City Employees Plead Guilty To Embezzlement

Eight city of Bartlesville water department employees have pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges.

The Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise reports the workers entered the pleas Wednesday in Washington County District Court. They were charged with misdemeanor embezzlement in October. The employees were accused of selling city-owned scrap materials -- including water meters, brass fittings, copper and iron -- to a local recycling center.

Charged with misdemeanor embezzlement are:

David Bridges, 37, Bartlesville

Shawn Collins, 26, Dewey

Jeffrey Crawford, 35, Copan

Jimmie Beel, 53, Bartlesville

Corey Doggett, 23, Dewey

Robert Gage, 24, Dewey

Matthew Hobson, 28, Bartlesville

Jackie Plisek, 32, Dewey

Special Judge John Gerkin says the eight men would receive six-month deferred sentences, unsupervised probation and would not pay restitution in the cases. District Attorney Kevin Buchanan says prosecutors don't have clear evidence as to any amounts the workers might have received. The workers must also pay $250 in fines and a $75 assessment.

A ninth employee, Lee Axsom, 36, of Ochelata, faces felony embezzlement and will appear in court on Dec. 20. Police believe Axsom sold at least $700 worth of scrap metal. He also was picked out of a photo lineup by a recycling center employee, police say.