Ex-Neb. fire chief guilty of theft from department

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A former fire chief has been convicted of stealing from his fire department in southeast Nebraska.

Forty-seven-year-old John Porter pleaded no contest on Thursday in Lancaster County District Court to theft and attempted possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. His sentencing is scheduled for May 22.

Prosecutors say Porter manipulated accounts and stole more than $33,000 from November 2010 through January 2013. He’s repaid the money to the Southeast Rural Fire Department, from which he was fired last year.

Police say they found more than a dozen shotguns and rifles while searching Porter’s home in May. Because Porter was convicted of theft in 2006, he’s ineligible to own guns.