Former, three-term Baileyton mayor Johnny Dyar pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of using his public office for personal gain Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Dyar was arrested in 2021 for five violations of the Alabama Ethics Act in September 2021. On Wednesday, he pled guilty to using Cullman County work-release inmates checked out through the town of Baileyton to perform work on his personal property and using the town’s vehicle for his personal gain. Per his plea, all other charges — including two Fair Campaign Practices Act violations — were dismissed and Dyar was issued two separate 12-month suspended sentences and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine.
Dyar is the second former Cullman County mayor in less than a year to plead guilty to state ethics violations after former Hanceville mayor Kenneth Nail pled guilty to 15 counts of using his office for personal gain in December 2023.
Current Baileyton mayor Windell Calloway said one inmate was hurt while working on Dyar’s property and required medical attention. Calloway, who served as a council member under Dyar at the time, said Dyar claimed the accident had occurred on public property to receive approval for a $7,000 allocation of public funds to cover the expenses. Dyar is now required to pay the town $4,193 in restitution for those medical expenses within 60 days according to his plea agreement.
Calloway, who unseated Dyar in 2020, said he has spent the better part of his term “cleaning up his [Dyar’s] mess,” and commended the Cullman County District Attorney’s office for bringing about a resolution to the case.
He said the restitution, as well as Dyar’s court ordered public apology, is a step in the right direction to put what he described as an embarrassing ordeal behind them.
“He’s really done what he could do to divide the community. Which is sad because we’ve got a great town here. A lot of good people who live in this town. A lot of people who want to help other people do things for others. We’re proud of our little town here but it’s been embarrassing by this,” Calloway said.