Former Burns Airport Manager Sentenced for Theft

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The former manager of an Oregon airport has been sentenced to four years of probation for stealing surplus federal property.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Wednesday that 45-year-old Jeffery Robert Cotton was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Eugene.

The sentence includes 300 hours of community service.

Officials say that while managing the Burns Municipal Airport between 2014 and 2016, Cotton obtained heavy equipment belonging to the city 258 miles (415 kilometers) east of Eugene.

Cotton pleaded guilty in April to two counts of theft from programs receiving federal funds.

Authorities say Cotton signed fake bills of sale suggesting his nonprofit corporation, Emergency Equipment Solutions Inc., purchased titles to $1.3 million worth of property.

Officials say Cotton acquired a heater/air conditioner, lighting, tractors, a firetruck and other trucks.
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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com