The careers of two former Bastrop County elected officials have ended.

Each one pled guilty to official corruption charges against them in May of 2007.

Former Sheriff Richard Hernandez, 52, who had served in that capacity since 1997, was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 10 years of probation and will forfeit his peace officer's license. Hernandez pleaded guilty to six felony counts, including theft by a public servant, abuse of official capacity and misapplication of fiduciary property, according to a press release from the Attorney General of Texas office.

Hernandez will have to pay the county $16,000 for diverting county funds for profit and personal use, the information states.

Pct. 1 Commissioner David Goertz, 52, took office in January 2005 and pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor charge, abuse of official capacity, according to information from the Attorney General's office.

Goertz had his six-month jail sentence probated for one year. He must pay $1,499 in restitution to Bastrop County, along with a $1,500 fine. He must also perform 120 hours of community service, the AG's office reported.

One of the requirements of Goertz's plea bargain was to resign his position on the Commissioners Court. County Judge Ronnie McDonald appointed Peter Hicks to serve until December, when Goertz's term ends.

Hicks is employed in the county's office of emergency management. He is not eligible to seek the Commissioner's post in the election because the filing date deadline is over.

“We are ready to move forward and do positive work for Bastrop County and its taxpayers. There are over 400 good employees here and we want to continue serving Bastrop County residents,” Judge McDonald said.

The report from the AG's office states, ‘the most serious charges leveled against Hernandez stemmed from his scheme with a local car dealer to sell his personal vehicle to eliminate the debt on the vehicle.

‘At the same time, he [Hernandez] sold a county sheriff's department vehicle to the dealer for $13,000, a price well below its current market value of about $30,000.

‘Then Hernandez, acting as county sheriff, immediately used county funds to purchase his personal vehicle back from the dealer for use as a county vehicle, clearing his debt in the process.

‘Next, he bought back the more expensive county vehicle from the dealer for the original $13,000 selling price. However, he purchased this vehicle as an individual, not as Bastrop County Sheriff. Hernandez, representing himself as a private citizen, later sold this vehicle to a dealer in another county for $28,500, pocketing the difference.'

Additionally, the report from the AG's office states, ‘Hernandez also committed theft by using county inmate labor and materials to build large barbecue pits, one of which he sold at 100 percent profit to a local citizen for $2,000.

‘According to the indictment, Hernandez used county materials such as motor fuel, propane, tools, tires and other items for his personal benefit throughout his time in office.

‘Both Hernandez and Goertz routinely used inmate labor to improve their residences, often as on-the-clock county employees oversaw the prisoners. Goertz used inmates on electrical wiring projects in his home, as well as other jobs that benefited him.'

The investigation was conducted by the Attorney General's Special Investigations Unit at the request of Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz, a distant relative of defendant David Goertz.

Rosanna Abreo was appointed by the Commissioners Court to serve the remainder of Hernandez's term. She will be on the ballot for the sheriff's position in the March 4 election.