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Ex-Pinal Manager
Pleads Guilty To Six Felonies
 Stole county road funds, plea agreement
includes $639,000 in restitution- May
face 50 years in prison
By Jill Jones
The News
FLORENCE- Former Pinal County
Manager Stan Griffis, 64, has
pleaded guilty to six felony counts
of fraud, theft and fraudulent
preparation
of tax returns for which he is
facing up to 51.25 years in prison
and must repay $601,991 in restitution
to the county and $37,044 to
the Arizona Department of Revenue.
The plea agreement marks the conclusion
of a 13-month investigation
into Griffis’ activities spearheaded
by Former Maricopa County Attorney
Rick Romley, who was hired
by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors
in January 2006, following
a breaking story in the November
21, 2005 edition of The News
that revealed Griffis was being
investigated
for the misuse of $20 in
Pinal County Posse funds. The
misappropriation
of posse funds
proved to be just the “tip of the
iceberg” in the investigation that
took more than a year to complete.
Romley announced the news of
the January 21, 2007 plea agreement
at a press conference held on Tuesday,
February 20 in Florence. He
explained that the court had agreed
to delay the announcement, at
Griffis’ attorney’s request, in
consideration
of Griffis’ health due to a
recent coronary bypass surgery.
See
A-1
Guilty,
page
A-2
Help Sought In
Identifying Suspects
 Police seeking suspects in connection
with recent violent crimes
By Jill Jones
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- The
Apache Junction Police Department
(AJPD) is requesting public
assistance in identifying three
individuals
suspected in the commission
of crimes that were either violent
or believed to have the potential
for violence.
In each case, the AJPD has provided
either an actual photo or an
artist’s rendition of the suspects
involved in these and/or possibly
other incidents.
Armed Robbery/Car Jacking
The AJPD is looking two suspects
who were involved in an armed robbery/
car jacking/auto theft incident
that occurred around 10:45 p.m. on
February 16, 2007 at the Food City
store located at 1477 W. Apache
Trail.
In this incident a Caucasian female
reportedly approached the
victim’s vehicle and asked the
driver for a ride to McKellips Road
and Apache Trail in Mesa. While
she distracted the driver, a Hispanic
male reportedly approached the
victim and ordered him from his car,
brandishing a small blue steel
automatic-
type handgun.
See
A-1
and see Suspects
A-3
SALT Hires Shearer As
Director
 Pat Prince and Bryan Martyn named to
board of directors
GOLD CANYON- The Board of Directors of
the Superstition
Area Land Trust (SALT) has named
Rosemary
Shearer as the trust’s first executive
director.
Shearer, a Gold Canyon resident who
co-founded SALT
with Anne Coe in 1993, will administer
the land trust;
produce the newsletter; work with other
state groups
on open spaces issues at local, state
and federal levels;
serve as media contact; appear at public
hearings and
interact with other organizations and
agencies that affect
the open spaces at the base of the
Superstitions.
“The Land Trust has come age. We have
reached that
point where we need continuity and we
now have that
with the appointment of Rosemary
Shearer,” said Coe,
SALT’s president.
“As a co-founder of the trust and a hard
worker in all
areas of trust business and with studies
in paralegal
work Rosemary was the obvious choice. I
don't think
there is anyone who could ever replace
her. She has been and now continues to
be one
of our greatest assets.”
See
A-1
and see Salt
A-3
News Honors
Four AJHS Student-Athletes
Also recognizes undefeated girls junior
varsity basketball team; Tourangeau and
Wells named “athletes of the season”
 By Chuck Baker
The News
The Hometown News honored
four athletes and one team from
Apache Junction High School at
last Wednesday’s Winter Sports
Banquet. Picking up an “Outstanding
Athlete Award” from
The News were basketball players,
senior Justin Higuera and
sophomore Hannah Herrera, senior
wrestler Zack Tourangeau
and senior cheerleader Allisha
Eytcheson. The News also honored
the Lady Prospector junior
varsity basketball team,
which came up with an undefeated
18-0 season, believed to
the first in school history, by
presenting a special recognition
plaque to the school’s athletic
director, Eric Rodine.
Also at the Winter Sports Banquet,
Tourangeau and Lady
Prospector senior basketball
player Jez Wells were named the
“Athletes of the Winter Season”
by the AJHS Prospector
Booster Club, team-by-team
post season awards were
handed out and All-Region basketball
players were announced.
See
C-1
and see
Awards
C-6
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