Ex-county Recorder Deane pleads guilty to corruption charges

Former county Recorder Frances “Fran” Deane pleaded guilty today to corruption charges.

In exchange to Deane pleading guilty to theft, misconduct of a public officer and unlawful commissions, personal profit and compensation of public officers, the district attorney’s office dismissed the remaining 15 counts and will stand silent during the sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 14.

She faces one to 18 years in prison, depending on whether District Judge Valorie Vega decides to have the sentences for each count run concurrently or consecutively.

Deane was first charged in June 2006 for accepting more than $40,000 to sell copies of information she was supposed to store for the public. The case, set to go to trial next month, had all ready been delayed five times.

Scott Mitchell, chief deputy district attorney with the major fraud unit, said the same plea offer was made to Deane more than a year ago, though she rejected it at the time.

District Attorney David Roger said that during the negotiations Deane indicated she wanted to receive probation, “and that wasn’t in the cards as far as we were concerned.”

Roger said this was an important case because it was one of the first public corruption investigations conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Intelligence Unit.

“We hope it sends a strong message to public officials that they must walk a straight line in discharging their duties,” Roger said.

While other county corruption cases have been investigated and prosecuted by federal authorities, Roger said local law enforcement agents “should clean up our own political messes.”

Deane looked physically sore and was described as “walking with a cane, haltingly” in court, Mitchell said. Deane, who lives in Wisconsin, was in a car crash about 20 miles outside Richfield, Utah, on Thursday as she traveled to Las Vegas for her court appearance. She hit a deer and totaled her car, Mitchell said.

Deane’s attorney, J. Daniel Hastings, with the public defender’s office, said “no comment” when asked about the case today. Deane was first sworn into office in January 2003 and removed by a District judge in September 2006 for malfeasance.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.