HASTINGS- A Hastings man charged with three counts of felony theft in connection to his time as the Nebraska State Fair’s finance chief pleaded no contest Tuesday.

Hall County District Judge Andrew Butler could give Patrick Kopke, 30, up to 20 years in prison on each charge at his sentencing and restitution hearing in October.

Last year, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office charged Kopke with thefts dating back to 2019, on Feb. 7 or 8, July 12 and Sept. 3.

By then, Kopke already had resigned from his job as the fair’s chief of finance and administration after a state audit showed a company he created had been paid nearly $150,000 in state fair funds with no invoices proving the company had done any work for the fair.

Auditors said Kopke had used bank accounts connected to the company to pay for more than $100,000 in personal expenses.

In 2020, the fair board announced that an internal review of its finances turned up “suspicious” activity. Beth Smith, the board’s chairwoman, announced at the time that the board had alerted the Nebraska State Patrol and the Attorney General’s Office.

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