Carona and others plead not guilty

Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona, his wife and his former mistress pleaded not guilty Monday to federal corruption charges as county leaders prepared to debate the lawman’s future amid a cascade of calls for his resignation.

Carona’s indictment has clouded his future and sent political leaders trying to persuade him to step away from the day-to-day operation of the state’s second-largest sheriff’s department.

County supervisors meet today and are likely to debate Carona’s fate, although they are powerless to force the sheriff to step aside.

Carona is accused of using his department to enrich himself and others in a scheme that dates to 1998, when he first ran for sheriff.

In a brief hearing in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Carona appeared as a defendant, sitting in a courtroom with street gang members charged with drug and firearm violations.

U.S. Magistrate Marc L. Goldman entered the pleas on behalf of Carona; his wife, Deborah; and Debra V. Hoffman, identified in court documents as his longtime mistress. Trial was set for Dec. 18.

But it is unlikely that the trial will start then because of possible scheduling conflicts with attorneys and the breadth of materials to be reviewed by the defense, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

Carona, narrowly elected to a third term last year, is charged in a broad conspiracy to sell access to his office for tens of thousands of dollars and gifts, such as a boat, pricey watches and tickets to the World Series and a Las Vegas boxing match.

Last month, attorneys for both sides failed to reach a deal on an offer by prosecutors that would have resulted in Carona pleading guilty to fewer charges and a counteroffer from Carona’s attorney that the sheriff would resign if prosecutors dropped the case, said a source familiar with the talks who asked to remain anonymous.

Prosecutors wanted Carona to plead guilty to corruption and obstruction of justice. In exchange, the government offered not to charge Deborah Carona and to file lesser charges against Hoffman, the source said.

The government’s offer “simmered for a few days” before Carona’s lawyer offered to have him resign in lieu of prosecution, a deal prosecutors rejected, the source said.

Prosecutors, the person said, countered with an offer for Carona to plead guilty to a tax evasion count, admitting that he received money from former Assistant Sheriff Donald Haidl and failed to report it on his income tax return.

Carona’s lawyer came back with an offer to have the sheriff plead guilty to a single misdemeanor count instead, the source said. This too was rejected by prosecutors.

Last week, Carona was indicted on charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and tampering with a grand jury witness.

Though Carona has pledged to fight the charges and remain in office, pressure has been growing for him to step aside or at least delegate the department’s day-to-day operations.

Calls for Carona’s resignation began mounting after his indictment last week, coming from newspaper columnists, fellow Republicans and county residents. Even Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas, who has worked closely with Carona, suggested the sheriff take a leave of absence.

Because Carona is an elected official, supervisors cannot force him out of office. But Supervisor John Moorlach has submitted a proposal to the supervisors that would allow them to remove an elected official from office for neglect of duty. But granting supervisors such far-reaching powers would first have to be approved by voters.

Carona said he would outline this week how he would divide up the work among his command staff so that he could remain in control but still have the time to defend himself.

Carona has been steadfast in his desire to remain head of the department while he fights the allegations.

On Monday morning outside the federal courthouse in Santa Ana after his arraignment, he vowed once again to remain in office and asked the public and the media to remember that he is innocent until proved guilty.

“I am not happy that I am in this legal proceeding,” he said. “I am very excited the American justice system allows me to have my day in court.”

christine.hanley@latimes.com

hgreza@latimes.com

Times staff writer David Reyes contributed to this report.