Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason resigned Monday effective immediately after pleading no contest to one felony count of embezzlement.
Amason was charged with moving an unspecified amount of money between $2,500 and $15,000 from 2022 to 2025 from his campaign account to himself and others on multiple occasions, according to a release from Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office.
Alyse Moore, Cleveland County director of communications, confirmed Amason faced multiple counts of embezzlement related to campaign funds. Amason was indicted on one count and pled no contest. Amason was given a five-year deferred sentence and must pay $10,000 in restitution to Norman Bible Church.
Read the indictment:
Alongside campaign fund embezzlement, officials found that Amason reportedly directed public funds to pay for his spouse to attend government conferences. This count was dismissed.
Amason announced his resignation in a Monday letter, writing that serving as sheriff was an honor.
“Effective immediately, I hereby tender my resignation as the elected Sheriff of Cleveland County,” the letter reads. “After 33 years of law enforcement service, the time has come for me to retire and begin the next chapter of my life.”
Read Amason's resignation letter:
At a Monday afternoon press conference, Moore announced Undersheriff Mike Finely is currently serving as acting sheriff. Cleveland County Board of Commissioners will meet Thursday at 11:15 a.m. at the county courthouse to consider next steps, according to a notice posted on the county website.
According to a Cleveland County Commissioners press release, commissioners are aware of Amason's indictment and plan to individually seek guidance on the next steps before holding a public meeting "in the coming days."
"Commissioners (Rod) Cleveland, (Jacob) McHughes and (Rusty) Grissom are strong believers in justice," the release reads. "As elected officials, the Commissioners believe they have a duty to be responsible stewards of every taxpayer dollar, and to follow the law – and believe the Sheriff is no different.
Amason has previously faced scrutiny related to financial mismanagement.
State Auditor Cindy Byrd conducted a special audit in April 2025, which was requested by the Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners. The audit detailed Amason’s budgeting practices over the course of a year.
Chris Amason campaign sign.
According to a press release, the department received a 40% increase in expenditures over the last four years, the highest funding levels in county history. Despite this increase, the release revealed the sheriff exceeded his budget by $4 million.
The auditors identified over 300 instances where the sheriff’s office may have violated purchasing laws, including spending taxpayer funds on “high-end meals, games, and DoorDash.” The purchases were made as the department cut Cleveland County Detention Center staff by 45% and faced payroll challenges.
During Monday's press conference, Moore said state findings from the audit were extremely concerning to county commissioners.
"The audit really revealed a lot, ..." Moore said. "The commissioners have been hoping that recklessness that we've seen could come to light."
Moore said the embezzlement and budget issues are not the only things that have raised concerns for commissioners about Amason. She said commissioners have also had concerns about conditions in the county jail, including detainee deaths and state health department findings.
"(Commissioners are) going to do anything they can to make sure that the sheriff's office continues running, ..." Moore said. "They're going to do everything in their power to make sure that all feel like they have a place in Cleveland County, and that the residents feel safe and heard."
Natalie Armour contributed to the reporting of this story.
