Former transportation worker sentenced for defrauding state

Former Nevada Department of Transportation worker Tal Pierre Smith, 56, has been sentenced to up to four years in prison for defrauding the state to more than a quarter million dollars.

Smith was sentenced Tuesday by District Judge Thomas Stockard under a plea agreement in which he agreed to pay the state $250,639 in restitution.

Smith was employed by NDOT in Fallon where he used a state Visa card in his duties as a supply technician to illegally purchase unnecessary items and either sell them or use them for his own benefit.

A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office said the misappropriation of funds and property were discovered when some unauthorized equipment was delivered while Smith was on vacation. The crimes occurred over a four-year period, according to a spokesperson.

Smith will serve 18-48 months in state prison and, under the plea agreement, will make restitution to the state.