Ex-Airway Heights mayor sentenced to work release

Dale R. Perry, who admitted accepting a bribe while he was mayor of Airway Heights, was scolded Thursday by a federal judge before being sentenced to six months of work release, followed by three months of home detention and three years of probation.

During that time, the 54-year-old former mayor, who has a self-described gambling addiction, cannot set foot in a casino and must undergo mental-health counseling and make regular personal financial disclosures to his probation officer.

Perry pleaded guilty Aug. 23 to accepting cash bribes from Orville Moe in exchange for City Council votes opposing an admission tax at Spokane Raceway Track. At the time, Moe was the operator of the race complex in Airway Heights.

Similar criminal charges against Moe for his role in the bribery scheme were dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Shea midway through a jury trial in September.

At his sentencing, Perry apologized to the citizens of Airway Heights “who put their trust in me.”

Perry’s wife, Sharon, also addressed the court, saying her husband had not broken the law and should not receive any prison sentence.

But First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice reminded the court that Perry previously had confessed to breaking the law by accepting a bribe from Moe.

In making his guilty plea, Perry said he was dealing with a gambling addiction and could find no other sources for a financial bailout when he turned to Moe for an $18,000 loan in October 2002. Two years later, with his debts mounting, he went back to Moe for a second loan for $109,000.

Perry did not seek re-election and completed his term as mayor in December 2005 before being indicted in the public corruption case in September 2006.

As part of his plea deal, Perry was to get a lighter sentence in exchange for providing “substantial assistance” to the government and agreeing to testify against Moe at his trial.

Shea said Perry had breached a trust placed in him by the public and should have disclosed his financial involvement with Moe.

“What a shame you have brought upon the city of Airway Heights” and your family, the judge told Perry.

The ex-mayor likely will be allowed to serve his work-release sentence at a Spokane-area correctional facility. The judge agreed to stay that sentence until Nov. 26.