Former state Mine Inspector Douglas K. Martin was sentenced April 17 to a 30-day jail term on a felony charge of conflict of interest, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office announced.
As part of a plea agreement, Martin will begin serving his sentence April 16, 2008, and remain on supervised probation for 18 months.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Gama said if Martin did well on probation, the court may suspend the jail sentence, according to the attorney general.
Martin, 67, agreed to plead guilty in March in exchange for the dismissal of eight other felony charges relating to his acquisition of new vehicles for his office.
After his request for a new Ford 4×4 F-150 XLT loaded with options was rejected by the Arizona Department of Administration, he went to a dealership, traded in his old state vehicle and leased the truck he wanted, according to the attorney general.
Martin then sent the monthly lease bills to the state for payment. The actions broke laws that bar public employees from using their jobs to gain anything of value they wouldn’t normally receive.
Martin had declared his innocence after his December arraignment, saying a former employee of his office was responsible for the error that led to the charges against him.
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