June 01, 2012 11:42 PM UTC

Ex-Larimer GOP Chair Skates With Probation

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• by: Colorado Pols

Lost in the hubbub over TABOR author Doug Bruce’s release from jail yesterday after serving (most of) his six-month sentence for tax evasion, the Fort Collins Coloradoan reports:

A former Larimer County Republican Party chairman who stole $17,000 from the party to gamble and to support himself avoided prison Thursday when he was sentenced to five years of probation.

Larry Carillo, 33, previously pleaded no-contest to the felony theft charge that carried a penalty of up to two to six years in prison. He has no other criminal history, and prosecutors had asked for probation…

Prosecutor Kent Leier, from Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck’s office, said the total losses to the party amount to about $35,000.

The Coloradoan reports that Larry Carillo says he will work with the Larimer County Republican Party “to arrange restitution,” which of course means that he hasn’t made restitution as of now. This scandal also snowballed into other embarrassments of the Larimer County GOP, such as Secretary of State Scott Gessler’s abortive date with the dunk tank to help pay off their fine.

But here’s our question–both Carillo and Bruce were convicted of felonies, Carillo felony theft and Bruce felony tax evasion. Bruce had other charges, most seriously attempting to influence a public official. But should both Carillo and Bruce have gone to jail? Perhaps neither of them should have? Were Bruce’s complex tax games worse than Carillo’s straightforward thieving?

A poll follows. Don’t choose who you’d rather have as a cellmate, we know the answer to that.