Paintsville Mayor Robert Porter has been found guilty of misappropriating property and city resources. A federal jury in London, KY, convicted Porter on two of the three counts of theft of federal funds and one count of bribery. The jury returned the verdict after more than three hours of deliberation, following four days of trial. One of Porter’s co-defendants, Larry Herald, the former general manager of the Paintsville Utilities Commission, previously pleaded guilty to lying to an FBI agent about his knowledge of Porter’s delinquent utility bills.

Evidence presented at the trial established that, from 2009 until 2012, Porter, with the knowledge, approval and assistance of Herald, did not pay for utilities services provided to residences that he owned in Paintsville, totaling in excess of $7,000. Evidence also revealed Porter used thousands of dollars in city and federal funds to pay for personal expenses, such as maintenance and repairs on his personal automobiles, gasoline for personal trips, and shipping fees for personal items. It was also established he used a vehicle, seized by the Paintsville Police in a drug investigation, for personal trips. Sentencing is scheduled for January 12. Each count of theft and bribery carries a maximum penalty of 10 years.