A former prison guard who pleaded guilty to taking a bribe will spend one to 10 years behind bars.
The InterMountain (http://bit.ly/yqb2G1) says 38-year-old Jeffrey Zirkle of Elkins left Upshur County Circuit Court in handcuffs Tuesday.
Judge Thomas Keadle dismissed a conspiracy charge in exchange for the plea.
Zirkle apologized to more than a dozen Huttonsville Correctional Center workers in the courtroom, asking for forgiveness.
Zirkle was arrested by State Police after accepting $2,000 from an undercover officer.
His lawyer requested home confinement or probation, but Huttonsville Warden Adrian Hoke argued that Zirkle pledged to uphold the law when he accepted his badge.
He says Zirkle instead used his position for personal gain, and that jeopardized the safety of 380 other staff members.
The judge called Zirkle's actions unconscionable.
___
Information from: The Inter-Mountain, http://www.theintermountain.com
