Lawyer for inmate marries him, helps with gang activity, gets 3 years in prison
A longtime Arizona criminal defense attorney who represented and married an inmate and helped him continue with his gang activities while he was in prison has now herself been sentenced to three years.
Carmen Lynn Fischer Garcia was originally charged with 47 counts including money laundering concerning her involvement in organized criminal activities. However, she took a deal in February that involved a guilty plea to just two counts, attempted money laundering and assisting a criminal street gang. In addition to the three-year prison term, she was sentenced last week to four years of supervised probation.
The Associated Press, the Arizona Republic, KPHO and the Valley Fever page of the Phoenix New Times have stories.
“For over four years, Fischer acted as a conduit of information for a gang and funneled money to and for inmates in Pinal County,” Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles told KPHO. “No more. Fischer now joins those she seemed intent on serving, illegally.”
The plea agreement includes “gang terms.” Established by a probation officer, they typically include a ban on associating or communicating with gang members.
In her plea agreement, Garcia admitted that she knew her husband, Angel Garcia, was a gang member and that she helped him conduct gang activities from prison by providing money and information to others, at his direction.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Inmate married defense lawyer for help with criminal deeds, authorities say; both are now charged”
