Friday, the Randolph County grand jury returned forty counts against former Randolph County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy William “Billy” Lane.
Lane was indicted on eleven counts of using his official office for personal gain, one count of first degree theft of property, and for 28 counts fraudulent use of a debit or credit card.
The indictments were announced by District Attorney D. Jeremy Duerr.
“Public officials are, and should be, held to a higher standard as these indictments show,” District Attorney Duerr said in a statement. “As your district attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, I along with my staff, take the prosecution of these cases very seriously.”
The indictments are based on an investigation by the Alabama Ethics Commission and was based on multiple complaint filings.
The first 12 indictments are class B felonies which carry a sentence of not less than two years and no more than twenty years. The other 28 charges are class D felonies, which carry a sentence of not less than one year and no more than five years.
Lane is accused of misusing an account belonging to the Randolph County Sheriff Office’s Rodeo Association.
According to Linkedin, Lane worked for the Randolph County Sheriffs Office for 8 years after almost 14 years with the Roanoke Police Department. He is a graduate of Randolph County High School.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit includes: Tallapoosa, Chambers, Macon, and Randolph Counties.
An indictment by a grand jury simply means that the grand jury believes that the prosecution has enough evidence to bring the case to court. Lane will have an opportunity to present a defense against the charges in a court of law before a jury of his peers.
