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.
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Carona Lite
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: June 03, 1999
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Were All Rooting for You! The medias unseemly love affair with Sheriff Mike Carona
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: August 15, 2002
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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
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'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
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Dudes, It Cant Be My Dope! Gregory Haidl: From alleged gang-rapist to whiny rich kid
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: January 22, 2004
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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
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The Tank Workers As scandal engulfs the Sheriffs Department, Carona fires his high-profile assistant
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: March 25, 2004
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To Protect and Swerve Whats the deal with Sheriffs Deputy Joe Balicki and Latinos in cars?
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: April 08, 2004
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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
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OC Law Enforcement 'Poisoned' Assemblyman Todd Spitzer questions the District Attorneys judgment, fairness
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: October 14, 2004
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Sheriff Con Carona lied about his complicity in pot-bust scandal
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: February 24, 2005
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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
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Carona Cover-up? Sealed records show sheriff's complicity in scandal
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: April 21, 2005
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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
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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
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Justice Takes a Beating OC court greenlights torture in local jails
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: August 11, 2005
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Sex Bomb Erica Hill says OCs conservative Christian sheriff traded sex for favors
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: September 22, 2005
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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
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Carona Makeover Another day, another jail beating in OC
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: October 06, 2005
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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
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Girls Trouble Happy New Year: now you'll pay for the sheriffs alleged sex romps
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: January 05, 2006
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Bad Dads The Haidl Gang-Rape case couldve ended years ago with better parenting
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: March 16, 2006
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Fuhgeddaboutit Sheriff Carona's campaign claims amnesia on Vegas mob tie
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: April 13, 2006
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'Dirty, Stupid or Both' Never mind the photo: Sheriff Carona denies Mafia ties
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: April 27, 2006
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Dong Schlong Peter Pecker Wiener Orange County's top cop tells women about 'The Little Sheriff'
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: May 18, 2006
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Department of Homeland Stupidity Master of Disasters Mike Carona breached secret anti-terrorism plans
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: May 11, 2006
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Calamity Mike X-rated recording is latest blunder for OC sheriff
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: June 01, 2006
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Sheriff Funny Guy Caronas ironic reign
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: July 06, 2006
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Blazing Saddles! Sheriff Carona takes his posse on a European tour
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: April 12, 2007
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Kissing the Pinky Ring Newport Beach barbecue honors racketeer heading to federal prison
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: May 24, 2007
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Laughing His Way to Victory? Despite scandals, Sheriff Carona still seducing voters
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: March 30, 2006
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Furious and Curiouser Orange County falls deeper into the infamous Malibu Ferrari crash
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: August 16, 2007
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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
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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
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A Tale of Two Tapes 2007: A year to remember
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: December 27, 2007
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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
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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
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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
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Meet the New Sheriff . . . Taking a wait-and-see stance toward OC’s new top cop
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: June 19, 2008
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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
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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
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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
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The Crooked Sheriff Chuckled Plot to thwart a federal bribery probe amused Mike Carona
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: November 13, 2008
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Moxley Confidential
Dirty Haidl? The Mike Carona defense team accidentally produces a new rogue-cop hero
By: R. Scott Moxley -
Published: November 25, 2008
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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
