A former high-ranking member of the Gwinnett Sheriff's Office will spend time behind bars after he's found guilty this week in the corruption case brought against him.
Nick Neal, a former major with the department, was found guilty on seven felony counts of knowingly selling car parts to Gwinnett County and one misdemeanor court of identity theft. He was found not guilty on six other charges.
Neal, who didn't take the stand during his trial, did so in the sentencing phase Friday.
"This first thing I'd really like to do is apologize if I've brought any shame to the county, to my uniform... that's from the heart," he said on the witness stand.
Despite his apology, Judge Melodie Snell Conner said he must be held accountable for his actions.
"You like me took an oath to uphold the laws of the state of Georgia," she said sentencing him to a total of ten years with two of those to serve behind bars. He will be on probation the remaining eight years.
Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter maintains Neal knowingly sold brake pads to the county despite it being illegal. Neal's defense attorney claimed he merely put the right people together through his connections with the Sheriff's Department and never made any money off the transactions.
During sentencing, Neal's wife and pastors asked that he be spared jail time saying he could do a lot to serve the community. Neal also testified he takes care of his elderly parents daily.
Conner agreed to sentence him as a first offender and allowed him to turn himself in to the Gwinnett Jail on Monday morning.