The former principal of an Anne Arundel County school pleaded guilty on Friday to felony theft of campaign funds.
Robert Chesek pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft of more than $10,000 but less than $100,000
Beginning Feb. 16, 1993, the Severna Park resident was the treasurer of the campaign finance committee known as "The Friends of Joseph J. Minnick." Minnick was the state delegate representing Baltimore County's 6th District until he died in October of 2015.
Chesek used campaign funds for his own personal use and benefit while serving as campaign treasurer between July 9, 2013 and Sept. 17, 2017. Statement of facts read into the record say he wrote several checks payable to himself from the campaign's bank account, totaling a theft of about $13,045.
Chesek was the principal of the Marley Glen Special School in Glen Burnie. He retired from the district on January 1, 2019.
In court Friday, he was sentenced to three years in prison but that sentence was suspended and he was placed on supervised probation for eighteen months. He was also ordered to perform 150 hours of community service.
Prior to his court appearance, Chesek paid the entire amount he stole back to the committee.
