Antelope County Commissioner Eli Jacob of Clearwater has pleaded no contest to an amended charge of official misconduct, a class II misdemeanor.
During court proceedings before Judge Donna Farrell Taylor on Wednesday, March 4, Jacob entered the no contest plea to the charge which was amended from another misdemeanor charge – theft by unlawful taking.
Judge Taylor is expected to sentence Jacob during court proceedings on April 1 at the Antelope County Courthouse in Neligh.
The misdemeanor charge dates back to January 2019 when a propane heater, belonging to the Antelope County Road Department, was removed from a county shop and taken to Jacob’s home shop. At the time, Jacob was an employee of the road department
Two investigations were conducted on the matter, one by the Nebraska State Patrol and the other by a private firm (Woods & Aiken based out of Omaha) hired by the Antelope County Commissioners. The results of that investigation were made public last spring.
In May 2019, the commissioners voted 4-0 (Jacob abstaining) to terminate Jacob’s road department employment.
