Attorney General's News Release

June 2, 2008

Former Crawford County collector sent to prison on seven-year sentence; must repay $185,000 or face more prison time

Greenville, Mo. - Former Crawford County Collector Danny Gladden was sentenced on Friday (May 30) to seven years in prison after he was found guilty at a Feb. 26 trial on 22 counts of stealing more than $335,000 from the county. The maximum sentence for the class C felony of stealing is seven years. The office of Attorney General Jay Nixon prosecuted Gladden on the charges.

Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller, who heard the case in Wayne County on a change of venue, sentenced Gladden to seven years in prison on each of the first six counts, with the sentences to run concurrent. The judge sentenced Gladden to seven years on the next eight counts, and suspended execution of the sentences on those counts. On the final eight counts, the judge also sentenced Gladden to seven years and suspended imposition of the sentences.

As a special condition of his sentence, Judge Schuller ordered Gladden to repay $185,000 to the bonding company that had reimbursed Crawford County for the stolen money.

Gladden resigned as county collector in 2005 after being charged with one count of stealing by the Crawford County prosecuting attorney. The Attorney General's Office, which was appointed as special prosecutor, filed additional charges against Gladden. A state audit had discovered the deficiency in an audit of the collector's office.

Gladden still awaits a June 30 trial in federal court on criminal charges of tax evasion.