Coroner Pleads Guilty to Theft Charges
A county coroner in southern Kentucky has pleaded guilty to 26 counts of theft and agreed to step down from office. Richard New entered into a plea agreement during a hearing Thursday in Pulaski Circuit Court. New, who has served as coroner for a decade, was accused of stealing about $60,000 over a nine-year period as the Lake Cumberland Funeral Home where he once worked. The charges did not stem from his role as coroner. As part of the plea deal, New also agreed not to seek elected office again. Under terms of the deal, he would avoid jail time as long as he meets terms set out in the agreement over the next five years.
