TEMPE IMPROV OWNER FOUND DEAD IN BUCKEYE, PAGE 18
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GOING WITH THE GRAIN PLANT
SPELLBINDER Goodyear girl goes far in National Spelling Bee — Page 3.
Buckeye makes temporary sales-tax hike permanent — Page 9.
SITUATION
Former West Valley lawmaker gets 27-month prison term
by Brent Whiting staff writer
Avondale bus system expands to Tolleson, Goodyear — Page 10.
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Volume 27, No. 17 24 Page 1 Section
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lawmaker from Tolleson, will spend 27 months in a federal prison for financial crimes he committed while he was in office.
Miranda, 56, a Democrat who represented District 13 in the Arizona House, was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix.
was sentenced by Judge Roslyn O. Silver, the presiding federal judge in Arizona, to pay more than $230,000 in restitution to
In addition to time behind bars, Miranda Richard Miranda, a former Arizona
the victims of his crimes. Furthermore, Miranda will serve a three-year probationary term after his release from custody. Silver delayed his incarceration until July 11. Miranda resigned from the Arizona House on Feb. 20, citing health and family reasons, but after coming under a federal criminal investigation.
He pleaded guilty March 14 to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion, admitting in court that he stole money from a now- defunct Surprise charity for which he served as executive director. On Monday, Miranda told Silver that
he is truly sorry for his crimes and wishes there were ways to make amends. “I cannot fully do that,” Miranda said,
after offering apologies to family and friends for his criminal conduct. Jose Montano, Miranda’s attorney, filed court documents describing his client as a “role model public servant for 14 years.” “Unfortunately, he made a very serious
mistake,” Montano said, adding that Miranda has remorse for his actions and “has lost everything he has worked for.” However, Frederick Battista, an assistant
(See Prison on Page 2)
Richard Miranda
Community mourns 4 family members killed in fiery crash
by Brent Whiting staff writer
Buckeye-area family killed Saturday in a fiery car crash. On Tuesday, sources identified two of the victims as Jerry Swift Sr., 33, and his wife, Seline, 34, who were described by friends and relatives as sweethearts since high school who had two children. The other two victims were identified as their son, Jerry
Jr., 13, and an uncle, Roger Keasling, 50, of Buckeye. The surviving Swift child, Tiffany, 16, was not involved in the crash, said Jessie Owens, a family cousin who lives in Buckeye. “We have always been a close-knit family,” Owens said
View photo by Michael Clawson
FOUR ROAD-SIDE CROSSES have been placed near the driveway entrance of the Swift home, a short distance from the site where four members of the family were killed June 2. The two-car crash happened on MC85 between Jackrabbit Trail and Airport Road in Buckeye.
Tuesday. “Our grandparents moved to Buckeye in 1971. Many relatives still remain in the area.”
An informal memorial service is set for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at
(See Crash on Page 2) A memorial service has been set for four members of a TAXING
MANAGER DAN HOGUE walks past huge bins of recently ground corn, soy and minerals used to make feed for dairy cows. Local dairy owners toured the new Western Milling processing plant in Buckeye Tuesday. The project is a cooperative effort between Western Milling and United Dairymen of Arizona to process feed grains for dairy livestock in the West Valley. See the story on Page 4.
50¢ Friday, June 8, 2012
View photo by Ray Thomas
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