SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A former sheriff's deputy convicted of forging military awards on an application to become a teacher has been sentenced to 18 months on probation.

Ross Andrew Waite, 40, pleaded guilty to forgery, said Marion County Deputy District Attorney Jodie Bureta.

Waite had worked for both the Marion County and Clackamas County sheriff's departments. He also voluntarily surrendered his police officer certification as part of the plea agreement, Bureta said.

In March 2007, Waite applied to the Salem-Keizer School District to become a teacher after serving as a substitute teacher in the 1990s, said Kathryn Nove, the district's director of employee relations.

Along with the application, Waite attached a resume of his military service, which was not required, Nove said. When district employees reviewed Waite's application, dates and details appeared suspicious, and the district attorney's office was notified.

Waite claimed he earned several military awards and honors, including a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and a Distinguished Service Award, Bureta said.