NEWS RELEASE
PHOENIX (Friday, August 31, 2012) — A seven-month criminal investigation into allegations that Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu misused his authority in regards to a personal relationship found that Babeu committed no criminal violations and therefore no charges will be filed, Solicitor General Dave Cole announced today.
Cole oversaw the investigation as Attorney General Tom Horne was screened from the process to avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest.
Earlier this year, Babeu asked the Attorney General’s Office to investigate claims made by Babeu’s former boyfriend, Jose Orozco, who accused Babeu of abuse of authority, threats, and intimidation. In addition, Babeu accused Orozco of theft of property and identity theft stemming from Orozco’s handling of Babeu-related websites and twitter accounts.
“The Attorney General’s Office will not file charges against either Babeu or Orozco,” Cole said. “The investigation determined that Babeu did not commit any criminal violations and further concluded that, although Orozco conducted himself in a manner that may constitute a violation of the law, there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction on anything more than a misdemeanor charge. It would be an inappropriate use of already-limited resources to prosecute Orozco for a misdemeanor.”
A copy of the report is attached.
