WICHITA – The former director of public works for Barber County has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for stealing money and equipment from the county.

49-year-old Steven E. Collier, of Nashville pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from a program that receives federal funds, and he agreed to pay $116,310 in restitution.

In his plea, Collier admitted that in April 2010 he submitted a forged invoice to the Barber County Public Works falsely representing that he paid $28,350 for steel beams for the county. In fact, he used the money to buy a D4H bulldozer for his personal benefit. Subsequently, he sold the bulldozer and deposited the funds from the sale into the account of a company he owned, Bar Sha Trucking and Excavating.

He further admitted that in June 2010 he sold a John Deere 6400 tractor to a man identified in court papers as Russell W for $20,000 and deposited the funds into the account of Bar Sha Trucking and Excavating. The tractor was owned by the Barber County Department of Public Works.