Ex-Nebraska transit director pleads no contest in $740,000 embezzlement case

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A former Nebraska transit director pleaded no contest on Monday to charges that he went on a spending spree with the company credit card.

Judge James Kube then found 33-year-old Jeffrey Stewart guilty of unauthorized use of a financial transaction device and obstructing governmental operations.

The charges were reduced under a plea agreement.

SEE ALSO: New charge filed against ex-Nebraska transit director accused of embezzlement

Stewart was the director of North Fork Area Transit in Norfolk.

From April to December 2022, he made more than $740,000 in unauthorized purchases, according to court documents.

The lavish spending included $35,000 for a trip Stewart and his family took to Florida, a state audit found.

Stewart also used the credit card at multiple casinos.

SEE ALSO: Ex-Nebraska transit director accused of gambling, going to Disney World on public dime

The transit agency is a nonprofit, but the Nebraska State Auditor’s Office said 83% of its funding comes from taxpayers.

Stewart was charged in December 2022, but he fled to Mexico, authorities said.

In July 2023, he turned himself in to the U.S. Border Patrol.

The judge set Stewart’s sentencing for Sept. 12.