RALEIGH -- The former head of the State Employees Association of North Carolina has pleaded guilty to bilking a half million dollars from the organization.
Dana Cope pleaded guilty to embezzling charges Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court.  .Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens sentenced Cope to at least 58 months in state prison. Cope paid $165,000 in restitution to the state employees association earlier Tuesday. Cope was indicted in August on two felony charges that he spent $570,000 of the association’s money on flight lessons, landscaping, home appliances, vacations and other unauthorized purchases.