Oklahoma sheriff agrees to suspension with pay pending trial

WAGONER, Okla. (AP) – An Oklahoma sheriff accused of bribery and extortion is agreeing to a suspension with pay until a jury considers the charges against him.

The Tulsa World reported that Wagoner County Sheriff Bob Colbert appeared before a judge in the county courthouse Wednesday and announced his voluntary suspension. A grand jury has recommended that Colbert be removed from office for extortion.

Colbert and a sheriff’s office captain are named in three felony counts of bribery and extortion. A grand jury says the pair took $10,000 from two motorists in exchange for not pursuing drug charges against them in December 2014. The panel also said Colbert couldn’t account for $440 of $2,500 he received for undercover operations.

One of Colbert’s lawyers told the judge the situation is a "very political issue."