He was hailed as “America’s Sheriff” on CNN, glorified as a relentless lawman hunting down criminals, named Orange County’s most popular politician, and promoted as a Christian conservative on his way to the governor’s mansion or the U.S. Senate, but something—let’s call it reality—got in the way. Mike Carona was, in fact, a glorified bailiff who’d parlayed illegal contributions into an election victory for California’s second-largest police agency. Far from the rosy public image, Carona converted his power into a freak show of greed, incompetence and deviancy involving dirty deputies, prostitutes, organized-crime figures, titty-bar owners, booze and conmen. While the local daily spent years polishing his reputation, OC Weekly readers were the first to see the true face of OC’s top cop, well before his sensational October 2007 FBI arrest. It’s all here in this online archive.

For continuing coverage of USA v. Michael S. Carona, go the Weekly’s news blog, Navel Gazing.

1. News
   Carona Lite
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: June 03, 1999
2. News
   Were All Rooting for You!
   The medias unseemly love affair with Sheriff Mike Carona
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: August 15, 2002
3. News
   Reefer Badness
   DA investigates charges sheriffs deputies covered up pot bust involving an officials son already on trial for videotaped gang-rape
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: November 20, 2003
4. News
   'Our Little Secret'
   Audio tape reveals cover-up of drug bust involving a sheriffs son already on trial for a videotaped gang bang
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: December 04, 2003
5. News
   Dudes, It Cant Be My Dope!
   Gregory Haidl: From alleged gang-rapist to whiny rich kid
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: January 22, 2004
6. News
   Bye, George?
   Grand jury investigating charges sheriffs No. 2 man helped himself to cash destined for cops
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: February 19, 2004
7. News
   The Tank Workers
   As scandal engulfs the Sheriffs Department, Carona fires his high-profile assistant
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: March 25, 2004
8. News
   To Protect and Swerve
   Whats the deal with Sheriffs Deputy Joe Balicki and Latinos in cars?
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: April 08, 2004
9. News
   Conflicting Conflicts
   With Jaramillo case, Rackauckas able to shift conflict of interest allegations away from himself for a change
   By: R. Scott Moxley -
   Published: October 07, 2004
10. News
    OC Law Enforcement 'Poisoned'
    Assemblyman Todd Spitzer questions the District Attorneys judgment, fairness
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: October 14, 2004
11. News
    Sheriff Con
    Carona lied about his complicity in pot-bust scandal
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: February 24, 2005
12. News
    Who Shot the Sheriff?
    Star witness against ex-Assistant Sheriff Jaramillo is tanking, evidence reveals mischief by Sheriff Carona
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: April 14, 2005
13. News
    Carona Cover-up?
    Sealed records show sheriff's complicity in scandal
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: April 21, 2005
14. News
    SEX!
    Now that the OC Republican Party has your attention, heres our story about sex inside the Sheriffs Department
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: April 28, 2005
15. News
    Internal Affairs
    Ex-Orange County assistant sheriff George Jaramillo pleaded no contest Monday to two felonies and agreed to a year in jail. Here is a story from our archives about how Sheriff Mike Carona and his top deputy planned a dynasty
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: May 26, 2005
16. News
    Justice Takes a Beating
    OC court greenlights torture in local jails
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: August 11, 2005
17. News
    Sex Bomb
    Erica Hill says OCs conservative Christian sheriff traded sex for favors
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: September 22, 2005
18. News
    NAMBLA Fantasy
    Republican activist Jeff Nielsen says he didnt know the object of his affection was a 14-year-old boy
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: September 29, 2005
19. News
    Carona Makeover
    Another day, another jail beating in OC
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: October 06, 2005
20. News
    Sex, Bribes and Jailhouse Scams
    Sheriff Carona working overtime to stop reports he's a serial adulterer
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: October 13, 2005
21. News
    Girls Trouble
    Happy New Year: now you'll pay for the sheriffs alleged sex romps
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: January 05, 2006
22. News
    Bad Dads
    The Haidl Gang-Rape case couldve ended years ago with better parenting
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: March 16, 2006
23. News
    Fuhgeddaboutit
    Sheriff Carona's campaign claims amnesia on Vegas mob tie
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: April 13, 2006
24. News
    'Dirty, Stupid or Both'
    Never mind the photo: Sheriff Carona denies Mafia ties
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: April 27, 2006
25. News
    Dong Schlong Peter Pecker Wiener
    Orange County's top cop tells women about 'The Little Sheriff'
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: May 18, 2006
26. News
    Department of Homeland Stupidity
    Master of Disasters Mike Carona breached secret anti-terrorism plans
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: May 11, 2006
27. News
    Calamity Mike
    X-rated recording is latest blunder for OC sheriff
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: June 01, 2006
28. News
    Sheriff Funny Guy
    Caronas ironic reign
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: July 06, 2006
29. News
    Blazing Saddles!
    Sheriff Carona takes his posse on a European tour
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: April 12, 2007
30. News
    Kissing the Pinky Ring
    Newport Beach barbecue honors racketeer heading to federal prison
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: May 24, 2007
31. News
    Laughing His Way to Victory?
    Despite scandals, Sheriff Carona still seducing voters
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: March 30, 2006
32. News
    Furious and Curiouser
    Orange County falls deeper into the infamous Malibu Ferrari crash
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: August 16, 2007
33. News
    They Got the Sheriff
    OC Sheriff Michael S. Carona’s reign has been equal parts tragedy and comedy. With his indictment, it enters its final act.
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: November 01, 2007
34. News
    She’s The (Under) Sheriff
    Indicted by the Feds, Carona slides his most loyal soldier into temporary command at the Sheriff’s Department
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: November 08, 2007
35. News
    A Tale of Two Tapes
    2007: A year to remember
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: December 27, 2007
36. News
    Dumb and Dumber
    The stupidity of indicted ex-Sheriff Mike Carona, forever preserved on an FBI surveillance tape
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: February 14, 2008
37. News
    A Federal Prosecutor Recused Himself From the Carona Probe, but It Seems He Couldn’t Stay Away From Carona
    Gross Ambition
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: February 21, 2008
38. News
    DA's Report Is a Stunning Indictment of the Mike Carona-Run Jails—Sort Of
    Cell Blockhead
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: April 10, 2008
39. News
    Meet the New Sheriff . . .
    Taking a wait-and-see stance toward OC’s new top cop
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: June 19, 2008
40. News
    Ron Cedillos Hasn’t Told the Whole Story of His Falling-Out With Mike Carona
    This Time, It's Personal
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: July 24, 2008
41. News
    OC Media Asked to Ignore Still-Emerging Dirt on Mike Carona’s PSR Mess
    Badge Boys, Badge Boys
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: August 28, 2008
42. News
    Indicted Ex-OC Sheriff Banking on Jury Finding Him an Angel Among Thieves
    Who Hired This Crew?
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: November 06, 2008
43. News
    The Crooked Sheriff Chuckled
    Plot to thwart a federal bribery probe amused Mike Carona
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: November 13, 2008
44. Moxley Confidential
    Dirty Haidl?
    The Mike Carona defense team accidentally produces a new rogue-cop hero
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: November 25, 2008
45. Moxley Confidential
    Can We Get a Witness?
    We’ve got 16 of ’em, courtesy of the federal prosecutors in the Mike Carona corruption trial
    By: R. Scott Moxley -
    Published: December 11, 2008