(MONTGOMERY)&045;Attorney General Troy King announced that the felony ethics convictions today of Washington County Commissioner Willie Lewis Dixon have resulted in his removal from that office. Dixon pleaded guilty this morning in Washington County Circuit Court to two counts of intentionally using his public office for unlawful personal gain, a class B felony.

Dixon was sentenced for each count to three years, which was suspended for a term of three years probation.

He was further ordered to pay full restitution to Washington County and to pay court costs and a $50 fine to the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Fund. Furthermore, Section 36-9-2 of the Code of Alabama states that when an officeholder is convicted of a felony, the office is vacated from the time of conviction.

Attorney General King’s Office presented evidence to a Washington County grand jury on August 21, 2007.

The charges to which he today pleaded guilty are one count of intentionally using his public position as county commissioner for the unlawful personal gain of a check of the Washington County Commission for $700 for the retirement of an indebtedness of a family member, and one count of intentionally using his public position as county commissioner for the unlawful personal gain of an automobile electric door switch.

Attorney General King thanked Washington County Sheriff Richard Stringer for the assistance of his office. He also commended the Attorney General’s Investigations Division and the Public Corruption and White Collar Crime Division, noting particularly Special Agent J.W. Barnes and Assistant Attorneys General W. Brent Woodall, Noel Barnes and Ben Baxley.