Sheridan Man Changes Plea on Felony Theft Charge

A change of plea hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan for 54-year-old Kenneth Hirschman, who is charged with one count of felony theft for stealing and selling property belonging to the City of Sheridan. Pursuant to a plea agreement reached with the state, Hirschman pleaded guilty to the theft charge. The prosecution is recommending a deferred sentence and two years of supervised probation along with restitution that will be assessed at sentencing.

The plea agreement is non-binding, meaning the Court can reject the agreement altogether at sentencing. District Court Judge Darci Phillips ordered that a presentence investigation be completed and scheduled the sentencing for February 16 at 9 am. According to court documents, Hirschman, who at the time of the criminal activity was Utility Maintenance Division Superintendent for the City, allegedly took scrap metal from the Utilities Maintenance Division Shop and sold the brass to a recycling facility in Billings, Montana. Between July of 2020 and March 24, 2022, Hirschman allegedly drove his personal vehicle to Billings and sold scrap brass three separate times for a total of $1,543. The recycling center in Billings provided investigators with digital receipts of the transactions.