Former Iron County Sheriff Jeffery L. Burkett was sentenced this week in two cases stemming from 2023 charges. File photo
As previously reported by the Daily Journal, former Iron County Sheriff Jeffery L. Burkett resigned as the sheriff on Jan. 31 of this year. The action came in response to his May 2023 suspension and the subsequent June 2023 civil suit filed against him for removal from office by the Missouri Attorney General.
Burkett’s legal woes began when he, Iron County Deputy Chase Bresnahan, Iron County Deputy Christopher Jayne, Iron County Deputy Matt Cozad, and Iron County resident Donald “Rick” Gaston came under scrutiny for the February 2023 criminal allegations of stalking and tampering with a judicial officer with a scheme to kidnap Gaston’s children from their mother following a domestic dispute.
This week, Burkett pleaded guilty on July 22 for case 23WA-CR00123-01 in which he was charged with one felony count of tampering or attempting to tamper with a victim in a felony prosecution. He was sentenced to five years of supervised probation and court costs. Eight other counts against him were dismissed.
His original charges included: one count of participating knowingly In criminal street gang activities, one count of attempted kidnapping in the third degree, two counts of stalking, one count of obtaining a criminal history record under false pretenses, one count of disclosure of confidential criminal record, one count of misusing 911, and one count of making a false report.
Burkett pleaded guilty on July 19 to an amended count of one class B misdemeanor of peace disturbance and was sentenced to pay court costs and a $500 fine. Burkett’s original charges as listed on his November 2023 arrest warrant for case number 24IR-CR00254 were three felony counts of tampering with a judicial official and three felony counts of stalking in the second degree.
Burkett’s case 23IR-CC00010 was dismissed when he resigned in January 2024.
The updates on the cases involving Jayne, Bresnahan, Cozad, and Gaston will be reported on soon by the Daily Journal.
Lisa Brotherton-Barnes is a staff writer for the Daily Journal. She can be reached by email at Lbarnes@dailyjournalonline.com.
Cant be real