Former Phoenix New Times Co-Owner Sentenced to Five Years in Prison Related to Prostitution, Sex Trafficking of Minors

Michael Lacey

The former co-owner of the tabloid Phoenix New Times, Michael Lacey, was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday for laundering money from Backpage.com, a site he founded and ran that was accused of prostitution and sex trafficking of minors. His co-owner Jim Larkin killed himself a few days before the second trial was to begin in 2023 (the first trial ended in a mistrial). The New Times is known for regularly running articles attacking conservatives in politics that are strategically placed next to articles about pedophiles and murderers. 

Scott Spear and John “Jed” Brunst, former executives with Backpage, were sentenced to 10 years each for numerous crimes. “The defendants and their conspirators obtained more than $500 million from operating an online forum that facilitated the sexual exploitation of countless victims,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a press release. “The defendants thought they could hide their illicit proceeds by laundering the funds through shell companies in foreign countries. But they were wrong.” 

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Judge Imposes Maximum Prison Sentence on Teacher Who Sent Death Threats to Arizona GOP Lawmaker

A judge sentenced a former Tucson school teacher to two and half years in prison for making a death threat against State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) and two store owners.

Navajo County Superior Court Judge Joseph Clark issued the maximum sentence against Donald Glenn Brown during a hearing in Holbrook on Tuesday. Brown pleaded guilty to attempting to make a terroristic threat in April, a class 4 felony.

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Arizonan Sentenced After Being Caught Attempting to Deal Fentanyl

Steve Lugo Leon, 24, of Phoenix, Arizona, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to intending to distribute an illicit substance containing fentanyl, according to a Thursday release from the Arizona District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office (District).

The incident occurred back in 2021 at the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe. Leon had arranged to sell fentanyl pills and methamphetamine with a client, but when police showed up, the dealer attempted to flee in his vehicle. He also had an accomplice in the car, Rafael Ivan Valenzuela Chairez, 20, of Phoenix; however, in the ensuing chase, Leon hit another vehicle, causing his truck to flip on its side. Chairez attempted to flee on foot, but both dealers were apprehended by police. Officers then found 946 grams of fentanyl, around 9,000 pills, and 12.83 kilograms of methamphetamine.

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Gilbert Murderer Headed Behind Bars After Killing Wife in 2017

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) has announced the sentencing for Mark Eric Ponsati, 42, of Gilbert, Arizona, for murdering his wife in 2017 and attempting to pass the crime as an accident.

The sentencing given out Friday by Maricopa Superior Court Judge Michael Blair will see Ponsati put away in the Arizona Department of Corrections for the next 25 years, the maximum penalty for second-degree murder.

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Violent Criminal Who Shot at Police and Injured Pregnant Woman Now Behind Bars

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) announced Friday that Christopher John Garcia, 34, has been placed behind bars after being convicted of violent crimes against police officers and a pregnant woman.

“Victims of violent crime carry with them a lifetime of trauma that in many cases is difficult to overcome. This defendant is where he needs to be; away from society so he will not hurt again,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (R). “To the victims of this crime and all victims in our community, you are the forefront of why we do the work that we do.”

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County Attorney Rachel Mitchell Announces Sentencing for Perpetrators of 2022 Armed Robbery

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (R) announced Monday that four individuals responsible for the 2022 armed robbery of an Arizona jewelry store had been sentenced to prison.

“The victims in this case lived through terrifying moments as they feared for their lives at the hands of criminals,” said Mitchell. “Our office was relentless in the pursuit of justice for those nine individuals inside the store; the money and jewelry taken were recovered.”

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Former Arizona Border Patrol Agent Sentenced to Almost 13 Years for Firearm Distribution and Smuggling Narcotics

The Arizona District of the Department of Justice revealed Tuesday that a former border patrol agent, Ramon Monreal-Rodriguez, 36, of Vail, Arizona, will be placed behind bars for 152 months for his role in two federal criminal cases.

“The men and women of the United States Border Patrol safeguard our frontier with compassion and dignity,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Most Border Patrol Agents are excellent public servants who diligently interdict contraband like guns and drugs. For those who aren’t and don’t, the Bureau of Prisons has plenty of room.”

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