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Apr. 09, 2008
Switzer guilty of misconduct
By CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT
AnnJet Switzer, 33, tearfully entered into a plea agreement with the state in which she admitted guilt to the Category E felony of misconduct of a public officer Friday, April 4 in 5th District Court. She was originally facing a charge of bribery but pleaded out to the lesser offense. Switzer was working as a legal secretary for the Nye County District Attorney's office when she was arrested September 13, 2007, following an investigation by the Nye County Sheriff's Office Scorpion task force that led them to believe she was exchanging confidential information for drugs. The investigation revealed Switzer had made and received over 60 phone calls to a un-named, specific individual over the course of a month. She was arrested outside her residence after undercover detectives observed another transaction of drugs for information. The criminal information states she accepted a substance "she believed to be methamphetamine" from Tricia Anne Eubanks in exchange for information to which she had access at the district attorney's office. Switzer had been employed at the office for six years prior to her arrest. District Attorney Bob Beckett said there was no indication from her work that she was using drugs. Due to a conflict of interest, Frank J. Cremen was hired as a special prosecutor for the case. It was heard by Judge Joseph T. Bonaventure from Las Vegas; Switzer was represented by Harry Kuehn. The misconduct charge carries a sentence of one to four years imprisonment, but because of the lesser level of the felony, the sentence will be suspended. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Switzer will receive mandatory probation for two years. Should she successfully complete her probation, she will be allowed to withdraw her guilty plea to the felony charge and instead plead guilty to a gross misdemeanor and receive credit for time served. |
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