It was recently reported that Donald Haidl, the alleged “money man” for disgraced Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, will not serve jail time because Haidl provided “extraordinary” cooperation with prosecutors in convicting Carona for corruption.
Haidl will instead pay a $40,000 fine and perform community service on a guilty plea for filing a false tax return. The crime carries a statutory minimum of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
During Carona’s corruption trial, Haidl testified about funneling illegal contributions to Carona’s election campaign and paying Carona and his top aid $1,000 a month to keep them from accepting bribes from any other source. Haidl also secretly recorded conversations with Carona on three occasions. One recorded conversation had Carona and Haidl discussing how they should testify before a grand jury, leading the jury to convict Carona of witness tampering. Carona was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in jail on the witness tampering charge.
At Wallin & Klarich, our knowledgeable criminal defense lawyers in San Diego understand the procedures of the court system in Southern California. We will make sure you understand all aspects of your case and all options available to you. We have been defending the rights of those facing these charges for over 30 years and know what it takes to get your charges reduced or dismissed completely. Call us today at 888-280-6839 or visit www.wklaw.com for more information. We will be there when you call.