Ex-Chief Who Stole Funds Avoids Jail : Justice: After pleading no contest to theft of $5,000, Compton police veteran draws probation and community service.

Former Compton Police Chief Terry Ray Ebert was sentenced to three years probation and 500 hours of community service Friday as a result of his plea of no contest to a charge that he stole $5,000 from a police drug-buy fund.

Ebert, 49, also was ordered to repay the money, which was taken over a two-year period.

Ebert’s attorney, Edward George, said after the sentencing that Ebert took the money to help pay for the care of his 16-year-old son, who is severely mentally retarded and lives in another state.

“The judge took that into consideration,” George said.

Ebert had originally been accused of trying to hide the loss of the money from auditors last year as well as stealing it, but two months ago he pleaded no contest to a single count of grand theft, a felony. Such a plea is treated the same as a guilty plea, and Superior Court Judge James A. Bascue could have sentenced Ebert to three years in prison.

Instead, the judge accepted the recommendation of the Probation Department that he not be incarcerated.

The money was discovered missing last year after an anonymous tipster prompted the city to conduct an audit of the department.

Ebert had been a police officer in Compton for 23 years, the last two as chief. After the theft was discovered, he was put on administrative leave and later retired.

For months Ebert had maintained his innocence, saying that he tried to cover up the loss of the money only because he feared the department would be disgraced if it were discovered.

He told investigators that he intended to quietly look into the theft himself, but never got around to it.

George said Friday that his client now acknowledges taking the money with an intent to pay it back.

The audit that revealed the thefts also uncovered other misuse of money and shoddy accounting practices during the time Ebert was chief. Another $28,000 could not be accounted for, but Ebert was not accused of having taken that money.