Ex-OC sheriff to get sentence on felony conviction
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- It's been more than five years since federal prosecutors began
building their sweeping public corruption case against former Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona.
Now, with sentencing at hand, the disgraced lawman and one-time rising GOP star is about to find out how much longer his legal ordeal will last.
Prosecutors are pressing for nine years in federal prison when Carona is sentenced Monday on a single felony count of witness tampering, while the defense wants only probation. Probation officials have recommended 6½ years behind bars.
Carona, once head of the nation's fifth-largest sheriff's department, will likely appeal any sentence that is not probation, his attorneys have said. He also has petitioned to remain free while appealing his conviction.
building their sweeping public corruption case against former Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona.
Now, with sentencing at hand, the disgraced lawman and one-time rising GOP star is about to find out how much longer his legal ordeal will last.
Prosecutors are pressing for nine years in federal prison when Carona is sentenced Monday on a single felony count of witness tampering, while the defense wants only probation. Probation officials have recommended 6½ years behind bars.
Carona, once head of the nation's fifth-largest sheriff's department, will likely appeal any sentence that is not probation, his attorneys have said. He also has petitioned to remain free while appealing his conviction.
Whatever U.S. District Judge Andrew J. Guilford decides, the hearing
will mark the end of a legal saga that has captivated the public with
its soap opera-like plot since the sheriff was first indicted in
October 2007. He stepped down three months later.
Indicted with Carona were his wife and his longtime mistress. The government has since dropped charges against both women.
Jurors ultimately rejected the heart of the government's case in January, after a 10-week trial that featured a parade of five dozen witnesses including a former assistant sheriff who testified for the prosecution in exchange for a plea deal.
Prosecutors had alleged conspiracy and multiple counts of mail fraud and witness tampering in a case that included allegations of pay-to-play schemes and money laundering.
Government attorneys also tried to show another side of the publicly charming sheriff by playing secretly recorded conversations in which Carona frequently used sexual and racial slurs and spoke lightly about his longtime affair.
The government charged that as early as 1998, the three-term lawman solicited the help of multimillionaire businessman Don Haidl to launder at least $30,000 in campaign contributions.
Once elected, Carona rewarded Haidl with the post of assistant sheriff and control over a new reserve deputy program that allowed him to hand out law enforcement badges to his friends, relatives and associates, the government said.
The prosecution contended that Haidl's gifts to Carona exceeded $430,000 over several years.
Haidl eventually became a government informant, along with another former assistant sheriff and Carona's one-time campaign manager. Both men were named as unindicted coconspirators in the grand jury indictment against Carona and reached plea deals with federal prosecutors early on.
Haidl wore a wire to three meetings with Carona in summer 2007, producing hours of profanity-laced audio tapes that were repeatedly played for the jury. Haidl also spent 10 days on the witness stand, although Jaramillo did not testify.
- The Associated Press
Indicted with Carona were his wife and his longtime mistress. The government has since dropped charges against both women.
Jurors ultimately rejected the heart of the government's case in January, after a 10-week trial that featured a parade of five dozen witnesses including a former assistant sheriff who testified for the prosecution in exchange for a plea deal.
Prosecutors had alleged conspiracy and multiple counts of mail fraud and witness tampering in a case that included allegations of pay-to-play schemes and money laundering.
Government attorneys also tried to show another side of the publicly charming sheriff by playing secretly recorded conversations in which Carona frequently used sexual and racial slurs and spoke lightly about his longtime affair.
The government charged that as early as 1998, the three-term lawman solicited the help of multimillionaire businessman Don Haidl to launder at least $30,000 in campaign contributions.
Once elected, Carona rewarded Haidl with the post of assistant sheriff and control over a new reserve deputy program that allowed him to hand out law enforcement badges to his friends, relatives and associates, the government said.
The prosecution contended that Haidl's gifts to Carona exceeded $430,000 over several years.
Haidl eventually became a government informant, along with another former assistant sheriff and Carona's one-time campaign manager. Both men were named as unindicted coconspirators in the grand jury indictment against Carona and reached plea deals with federal prosecutors early on.
Haidl wore a wire to three meetings with Carona in summer 2007, producing hours of profanity-laced audio tapes that were repeatedly played for the jury. Haidl also spent 10 days on the witness stand, although Jaramillo did not testify.
- The Associated Press
Another corrupt mexican.
what racial??????????????????????????????????
Mexican cops are practicing revese racial slure.
The tapes are clear.
He got his mistress(adultry),.what a creep. Swine flu, for him.
How ignorant can you be,he is not mexican,he is white,why can't you accept that YOUR people have criminals too.