Attorney General Jack Conway today announced the guilty plea and sentencing of former Montgomery County Master Commissioner for abuse of public trust.
This morning, 40-year-old Myra Chenault of Mt. Sterling, Ky., entered a guilty plea in Franklin Circuit Court to one count of abuse of public trust, a Class D felony carrying a penalty range of one to five years in prison. As part of her plea agreement, Chenault agrees to serve two years in prison, which will be diverted for a period of three years. Chenault also agreed to pay back $60,000 in restitution and relinquish her license to practice law.
Chenault admitted in in her guilty plea that she was acting as a public servant in her position as the Montgomery County Master Commissioner. Between the dates of January 2013 and September 2014, an investigation found that she unlawfully obtained $60,000 in funds administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts located in Franklin County, Ky. As Master Commissioner, she had an obligation to make a specific payment or disposition with those funds and she admitted to intentionally using that public money as her own.
I appreciate the hard work of my Office of Special Prosecutions for securing a guilty plea in this case,” General Conway said. “These laws are in place to protect the citizens in Kentucky from the illegal mismanagement of resources by public officials and to ensure that there is transparency in the disposition of public funds.”
Special Prosecutions Division
Attorney General Conway’s Special Prosecutions Division prosecutes criminal cases pursuant to KRS 15.190 to 15.240 and KRS 15.715. Special prosecutors are responsible for assisting local prosecutors in complex or sensitive cases, as well as handle cases in which the local prosecutor disqualifies himself and to prosecute thefts from the Commonwealth by employees or elected officials.
Anyone aware of such illegal activity on the part of an elected or appointed official is encouraged to contact the DCI toll-free hotline at 866-524-3672 or email information to .
