Former supervisor at Indian Springs prison enters plea

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Wednesday, July 14, 2004 | 8:30 a.m.

A former supervisor at the minimum security prison camp near Indian Springs who is accused of taking bribes to arrange conjugal visits for an inmate entered a plea agreement on Tuesday that could result in probation.

Tony Carlysle, 46, a former lieutenant and supervisor at the Indian Springs Conservation Camp that is part of the Southern Desert Correctional Center, pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct by a public officer and one count of conspiracy to commit voluntary sexual conduct between prisoner and another person.

Carlysle's lawyer, John Moran III, said both offenses are probational with one year in prison on each count being the maximum sentence his client could receive at his Sept. 17 sentencing before District Judge Michael Cherry.

Moran said Carlysle is suitable for probation because he has no past criminal history and served many years in law enforcement.

"He (Carlysle) is remorseful for what he has done and won't let this set him back," Moran said. "Right now he looks forward to sentencing where he hopes for probation so he can move on with his life."

Chief Deputy Attorney General Gerald Gardner said the plea agreement "restores the public's trust" and "addresses prison security concerns."

Gardner said with the guilty plea agreement the public now knows if a government employee falsifies time sheets they will be caught and if guards at state prisons engage in illegal activities that jeopardize security they will be punished.

Gardner said he would wait to read the Parole and Probabtion Department's sentencing recomendation before commenting on the sentence he would seek for Carlysle.

Carlysle was originally also facing charges of conspiracy to commit misconduct by a public officer, receiving a bribe by a public officer or employee, voluntary sexual conduct between a prisoner and another person and fraudulent appropriation of property by a public officer.

Specifically, Carlysle was accused of accepting multiple payments of $100 from Melissa Manzaneras, the fiancee of inmate Jose Deleon, in exchange for bringing her to a location near the prison grounds where she could have sex with Deleon.

In addition to being accused of arranging conjugal visits for money he was also alleged to have falsified time sheets for another officer to raise money to help pay for a Corvette, according to documents released by the attorney general's office.

That officer, Charles Conners, 45, former senior correctional officer at the prison camp, pleaded guilty to charges he falsified his time sheets for roughly eight weeks of paid annual leave.

Conners pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct by a public officer. Conners was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and $1,500 in restitution

Carlysle and Conners resigned in January.