Carona’s wife, former mistress will avoid trial
Two weeks after a federal jury acquitted former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona on corruption charges, prosecutors announced Wednesday that they plan to drop charges against Carona’s wife and his former mistress involving the same alleged conspiracy.
Carona’s wife, Deborah, and his one-time mistress, Debra Hoffman, were accused of accepting either cash or expensive gifts from former Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl and failing to report them on financial disclosure forms. Prosecutors said the former sheriff took bribes from Haidl to pay the rent on a “love nest” where he and Hoffman carried out their affair.
Two weeks ago, a jury acquitted Carona on five counts of conspiracy, mail fraud and witness tampering but convicted him on one felony count of witness tampering.
In asking the court to dismiss the charges, prosecutors cited the verdicts in the Carona case and “the interest of justice.”
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christopher.goffard@latimes.com
stuart.pfeifer@latimes.com
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