BISMARCK – Johnny Zip Lawson, 43, the former sheriff of Wells County, will receive no jail time for the charge of theft of $751,500 of government property. Lawson had a sentencing hearing Monday morning before U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor.

Under terms of a plea agreement, Lawson was ordered to pay full restitution, $100 in special assessments, and have three years of supervised release. The maximum penalty for the charge against Lawson was 10 years of

imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. In exchange for Lawson’s guilty plea, the U.S. agreed to the low sentencing.

Lawson and his wife, Christine Diane, were indicted for “converting for their use $751,000 in overpayments made from the State of North Dakota’s Department of Human Services. The couple has 13 children. A trial for Johnny Lawson set for February of this year was canceled due to the plea agreement.

In 2013 Lawson was appointed to fill an unexpired term as sheriff of Wells County. He was elected to that position the following year and served until April 25, 2017 when he turned in his resignation. Lawson was arrested shortly thereafter and charged with conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, bribery, false information to a law enforcement officer, neglect of duty by a public official and ingestion of methamphetamine.

Most of the charges against Lawson were later dismissed. He eventually entered guilty pleas to two misdemeanor counts and was sentenced to serve 25 days of home confinement and pay a fine of $500.