Ex-Carson Councilman Egan Draws 1-Year Term

Described as a man obsessed with wielding political power, former Carson City Councilman Walter J. (Jake) Egan was sentenced to a year in federal prison and fined $5,000 Monday for accepting kickbacks in connection with the W. Patrick Moriarty political corruption case.

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez for eight counts of mail fraud charging that Egan received cash payments and political contributions from Moriarty and a Moriarty aide in exchange for supporting a plan to build a mobile-home park in Carson.

“What stands out in Mr. Egan is his fierce determination to have and to use power,” Fernandez said. “He seeks to have control wherever he is.”

Convicted in July

Egan, 46, was found guilty July 11 on 12 counts of mail fraud and extortion for his role in the Moriarty scandal. He was accused of receiving $20,000 in contributions from Moriarty for a political action committee he established in 1981 and taking an additional $12,000 to $20,000 in cash payments from Richard Keith, a Moriarty aide.

In addition to ordering Egan imprisoned on eight of the fraud charges, Fernandez placed him on probation for an additional three years on the remaining charges.

The judge observed that he had received more letters than he could read from citizens of Carson testifying to many acts of public service by Egan during his political career in Carson, and said he took that into account in imposing the relatively light sentence.

“There is no doubt Mr. Egan has done a number of good acts throughout his political career,” Fernandez said. “But history itself is replete with stories of individuals who have done both good and evil in public office. Most men are neither beasts nor angels. Good works cannot end an inquiry like this.”

In imposing sentence, Fernandez said he was sorry to note that Egan “still clings to the view” that everything he did was all right.

“The court has to emphasize that Mr. Egan’s own perception of good ends is not sufficient,” Fernandez said. “In a democracy dedicated to the rule of law, that view cannot be tolerated.”

While Egan faced a maximum sentence of 90 years in prison, the sentence he received was within the range of sentences for other defendants in the Moriarty case. The heaviest sentence was seven years, imposed on Moriarty, the former Orange County fireworks manufacturer charged with corrupting both politicians and bankers.

Egan’s lawyer, Robert Gaunt, had asked for probation for his client, saying he already has suffered the loss of his job and his political future. Chief Assistant U.S. Atty. Richard E. Drooyan argued that “a period of time in custody” was needed because Egan had “manipulated the political process in the City of Carson for his own political gain.”