AKRON -- Former Akron Police Chief James Nice pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized use of property Tuesday.
He was sentenced to 180 days in jail suspended and one year of community control.
Nice, 63, previously pleaded not guilty to the charges. He also surrendered his peace officer certification in agreement to never work as a police officer again.
The misdemeanor charge against Nice is related to his use of a police data base. According to court records, Nice attempted to access a “law enforcement automated data base system” for personal use in February of last year.
"With the mistrust that people have of the police, you just made that worse. I find that very troubling," Judge Jason Wells told Nice.
Nice resigned from the Akron Police Department last August amid allegations that he made racially-charged remarks and attempted to obstruct justice in a criminal investigation involving his nephew.
After his court appearance, Nice told reporters that those allegations were untrue and used to unseat him from his position within the police department. He said he's considering legal action in response to the allegations.