Haidl’s sentence slated for Monday

Former Orange County Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, who helped bring down Sheriff Mike Carona last year, will be sentenced next week in federal court for filing a false tax return in 2002.

Haidl, a Newport Beach resident, pleaded guilty in 2007 to understating a previous tax return and agreed to uncover corruption by Carona and ex-assistant sheriff George Jaramillo. Federal prosecutors are recommending that Haidl be sentenced to two years’ probation and pay a $40,000 fine.

His sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday in U.S. Central District Court in Santa Ana.

The probation department is recommending that Haidl serve 18 months in prison on top of the fine. Federal statutory guidelines recommend a sentence of up to two years in prison for Haidl.

In the government’s motion to give Haidl a lighter sentence, though, prosecutors said, “Without overstating it, defendant is directly responsible for: Carona’s indictment, Carona being exposed publicly as a corrupt public official, and Carona’s conviction.”

Haidl also helped get Carona into office with illegal campaign contributions, but in light of the secretly recorded conversations he had with Carona to help investigators, his cooperation was invaluable, prosecutors determined.

Haidl was also the government’s key witness in Carona’s 2009 corruption trial.

Carona was sentenced to more than five years in prison and Jaramillo was sentenced to 27 months for federal tax evasion and mail fraud.

Haidl will also have to pay required back taxes and penalties for his false tax returns.