Greg Brown hit with $20,000 fine

Greg Brown was hit with a $20,000 fine by the state ethics commission last week.

Brown pleaded guilty to embezzeling some $560,000 from the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District.

Government Standards and Practices Commision Executive Director L. Patrick Hearn negotiated the fine amount with Brown's attorney.

Brown could have been liable for a fine up to twice the amount he embezzeled, or $1.1 million. Such fines are very rarely assessed, Hearn said.

Hearn told The Nugget that many elements are considered in a negotiation for an appropriate fine.

"There's a lot of things that go into it," he said.

"Number one, he accepted full accountability and took full responsibility for his actions; he made full restitution; he's serving a prison sentence."

Brown is serving a 33-month sentence at Nellis federal prison camp near Las Vegas, Nevada.

The former Deschutes County Sheriff embezzeled funds from his department and also from the fire district where he served many years as chairman of the board of directors.