Former Clarke County Sheriff William Ray Norris has pleaded guilty to one count of lying on a loan application. Norris reported to two banks that he needed the money to buy food for prisoners and other jail expenses when in reality, he was using the money for his own personal use, including to pay off his gambling debts.
Norris had previously been indicted on five counts in January of this year in the state of Alabama court system. Norris was indicted by a Clarke County grand jury for unlawful use of campaign contributions, violating the Fair Campaign Practices Act, use of office for personal gain, violating the Statement of Economic Interest disclosure requirements, and income tax evasion. That case was tossed out of court in March by retired Judge Braxton Kittrell, who ruled that Norris had a previous plea agreement with the Alabama Attorney General’s office to resign and thus was precluded from being prosecuted again for his conduct while he was sheriff.
Norris resigned from his office in May 2021 after Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s Special Prosecutions Division filed articles of impeachment in the Alabama Supreme Court, charging him with moral turpitude and using his office for personal gains. Those first state charges were subsequently dropped as part of that 2021 plea agreement in which Norris agreed to resign.
This, however, is a separate federal case. Federal authorities indicted Norris in the Southern District of Alabama for four counts of applying for loans at two Alabama banks in May. Federal authorities claim that Norris told the banks, Town County National Bank in Camden and Sweet Water State Bank in Sweet Water, that the money was to pay for food and other jail expenses. The money was actually used for personal expenses. The four loans totaled approximately $48,000.
Last year, when Norris resigned from his post as Sheriff, Marshall stated, “It is more important than ever that the public be able to trust elected officials, especially when they occupy leadership positions within law enforcement. It was my judgment that Sheriff Norris could no longer be trusted as a public servant or as a law enforcement official, and his resignation should be a welcome relief to the public. Sheriff Norris’ decision to resign from office, however, does not foreclose the possibility that criminal charges will be filed against him.”
Norris still faces a sentencing hearing on the federal charge that he has pleaded to. He could potentially face years in federal prison.
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