by Michael Anderson, Times-Union

A former Warsaw street superintendent pleaded guilty to four felonies in connection with a scheme that bilked the city out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

64-year-old Lacy Francis of Warsaw faced eight felony charges in connection with the scandal.

On Monday in Kosciusko Circuit Court, he pleaded guilty to four of them: corrupt business influence, theft, official misconduct and providing false information to gain a government contract.

The remaining four were dropped as part of a previously announced plea agreement.

Under the agreement, Francis will serve a minimum of two years behind bars. After that, he will serve time on work release and then go on probation.

The plea agreement also forfeits his retirement benefits back to the city. The total money owed to the city is unknown at this point. The Indiana Attorney General’s Office has filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the city  to recoup funds.

Judge Michael Reed set sentencing for July 24 at 8:30 a.m.