Posted on 10/29/2007 10:49:28 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona has been indicted on federal corruption charges stemming from a lengthy investigation into allegations that he misused his office for financial gain, law enforcement officials said Monday.
The indictment, filed under seal, is expected to be made public soon, perhaps as early as Tuesday, officials said.
Carona's longtime political advisor and attorney, Michael Schroeder, said federal authorities had not questioned the sheriff, nor officially informed him that he was the target of a federal investigation. Schroeder, who was in Amsterdam on business, also said that rumors of the investigation had not distracted Carona from his job
"He's focused on the fires," said Schroeder, who does not represent Carona on criminal matters.
Carona's defense attorney, H. Dean Steward, did not return a call to his cellphone. The sheriff did not respond to a request for an interview.
An indictment would mark a spectacular fall for the 52-year-old sheriff, who only five years ago was widely seen as a rising star in California Republican Party politics. Carona received widespread attention in 2002 after he led the search for the killer of a 5-year-old girl, Samantha Runnion, whose kidnapping and murder captivated the nation. In the months after that case, Carona was often mentioned as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor on a slate with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But even as he gained attention in the political realm, Carona was coming under attack from critics who accused him of improper management and ethical lapses. His conduct had hurt the department's integrity and morale, according to the critics, who pointed in particular to allegations that he had issued badges and concealed-weapons permits to campaign contributors without proper training or background checks. Carona denied the badges were political favors and said his conduct was proper.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
*ping*
yikes
I’m not sure from reading this what exactly is alleged.
All along, I’ve felt that TPTB were out to get him...I’m not sure who that would be...but he’s done alright for OC (IMHO)!
Not surprising.
I hate to see it when an officer goes bad, and a guy at this level is so much worse. This will just tarnish the good people in an honorable, tough and necessary profession.
To the good police officers out there, good for you. I salute you.
Spent $130,000 of re election money on personal expenses, and handing out badges and CCWs to contributors without background checks or training. We will see tomorrow what else there is.
Of course the MSM has to mention that he is a Republican.
Was this the guy who’s son was arrested for rape or some such????
Apparently not, I was thinking of Youngblood, and both his sons have been arrested before. One for DUI and the other for drug trafficking.
Rumors about these problems and more surfaced during the last election.
It also didn’t help that after the election he seemed to have a vendetta out for the guy who ran against him during the election, a current sheriff deputy at the time.
It is also an open secret that getting concealed carry in Orange County is next to impossible, so his giving them to campaign contributors is an extra no-no.
It also came out during the last election that he was a big supporter of illegal aliens.
That might explain the support he has gotten from GWB in the past.
His under-sheriff, who's name eludes me was also nailed for corruption.
At the risk of being accused of being single minded, I got to tell you, law enforcement in Southern California went to hell during the 80's.
All those things that were going on in Mena, were also occurring in southern California.
Looking back with understanding that can only come from spiritual growth ..... Man what an era.
Makes Al Capone look tame.
Innocent until proven guilty.
Was afraid CCW would come up in the charges. But, if true, it might help create a uniform CCW policy in this crazy state. The discretionary issuance model has always been ripe for abuse and in most counties has always been abused.
Now it might be that people who received permits offered up donations to his campaign simply because they felt they needed to keep him in office, due to the fact that the discretionary model meant they could lose their permits if he lost his seat... but that’s a bit of a stretch.
I look forward to seeing all the charges.
That’s a good admonition. Thanks for making the point.
Here's a link to where when Jarillio (the Asst. Sheriff) got caught, he threw down Corona's mistress, or in cop vernacular, Corona's 10-35 action LOL.
You've got to be kidding. There is NO WAY any such "uniform CCW policy" would be anything less than effectively revoking virtually all of the outstanding permits.
But you are right, when the people we think are the best are shown to be among the worst - and corruption in high places, though seemingly ubiquitous, is among the worst imho - then it is a damn shame. Let’s just see what the charges are, and what comes of them.
As an aside, there have been quite a number of federal charges brought under the Bush justice department against local department heads. I’m all for clean government and maybe, just maybe, the feds have a raison d’etre if the states can’t police their own.
It’s hard for me to admit my state could be as bad as Illinois :-)
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