BENKELMAN, Neb. - Former Dundy County Sheriff Clinton “C.J.” Smith took a plea deal after being accused of stealing a firearm from his former office.

Smith, 43, pleaded no contest to one count of attempted possession of a firearm, a Class 3A felony. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor theft charge.

The case stems from a Nebraska State Patrol investigation last year, which uncovered a stolen firearm at Smith’s home in Benkelman. Investigators executed a search warrant after an inventory check at the sheriff’s office revealed four department-owned handguns were missing. The whereabouts of the other three firearms remain unknown.

Smith’s legal troubles came shortly after his ouster from office. Elected in 2022 without being a certified law enforcement officer—a loophole allowed under Nebraska law for sheriff elections—Smith failed to obtain the required training certification within the mandated eight months.

In November, Dundy County voters removed him from office in a landslide recall election, with 712 votes in favor of the recall and only 63 against, according to the McCook Gazette.

Smith now faces up to three years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 6.