The city I live has been around for a little more than 10 years but has become known throughout the state for a lack of roads and corrupt politicians. For once it looks like our city dodged a bullet. The candidate that lost the mayoral election in November just pleaded guilty to fraud and racketeering charges.
Former Eagle Mountain mayoral candidate Richard Culbertson and his wife, Kathleen, pleaded guilty on Thursday to fraud and racketeering charges.
Richard Culbertson pleaded guilty to three counts of communications fraud and one count of pattern of unlawful activity, all second-degree felonies. Richard Culbertson faces from one to 15 years in prison for each count, served consecutively or concurrently. If the sentences are consecutive, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years. He was also ordered to pay restitution and a maximum fine of $74,100.
Kathleen Culbertson gave a tearful plea of guilty to three counts of communications fraud and one count of pattern of unlawful activity, all charges reduced to Class A misdemeanors. She faces a maximum of one year in jail for each count and $18,600 in fines, along with restitution.
The Culbertsons were charged in a mortgage fraud case in which they allegedly used their daughter's and son-in-law's names to buy a home.
The couple's attorney, Greg Skordas, said the plea deal is not new, and he believes the deal was worked out quickly so the Attorney General's office would be able to move forward with mortgage fraud charges in other cases. The office has developed a task force for mortgage fraud as a result of the spreading mortgage fraud cases in the state.
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