Former Rep. Miranda sentenced to prison

Former state Rep. Richard Miranda, of Tolleson, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and will have to pay Centro Adelante Campesino $212,220, and the Arizona Latino Caucus Foundation $18,122 in restitution.

Miranda was sentenced today after pleading guilty in March to wire fraud and attempted tax evasion for taking money from a local charity that served farm workers and their families. He will report to prison on July 11.

Miranda was executive director of Centro Adelante Campesino from 2002 until his arrest. He was a member of the Arizona legislature for 14 years, resigning just prior to his arrest.

Miranda sold a building the charity owned in Surprise, Arizona for $250,000. According to court documents, Miranda led people to believe that the revenue would fund scholarships. Instead, he wired hundreds of thousands of dollars into his personal bank account and to pay off personal credit cards, a few thousand dollars at a time.

Documents reveal that Miranda spent the charity’s money on clothes and travel: $700 plus at Men’s Warehouse, $4,000 at Lowe’s, $2,000 at Creative Closets, $579 at Los Olivos Hand Car Wash, $300 at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas, $449 at the Marriott Hotel in Newport Beach, Calif., $745 to Avondale Nissan, and $97 on golf.

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