Former North Carolina deputy convicted of falsifying records

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina jury found has found a former sheriff's deputy guilty of falsifying training and qualification requirements for a former sheriff and his former chief deputy.

Chad Coffey was facing a total of 24 felony charges. He was found guilty of 12 counts of obstructing justice Thursday and acquitted on 12 counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.

A judge sentenced Coffey to five to 15 months in prison. At most, he will serve six months since post-release supervision is required for the last nine months of such sentences. Coffey then faces two years of supervised probation.

Hart Miles, one of Coffey’s attorneys, argued that prosecutors were overreaching, saying Coffey, who was in charge of the Granville County sheriff’s office training program, was following former Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins’ orders. Miles said his client didn’t know he was breaking the law, and any punishment should be administrative, such as losing his teaching or other certification.