A former Tucson Police Department lieutenant who was indicted last fall on money-laundering, credit-card fraud and numerous other felony charges will likely receive probation after pleading guilty Thursday to fraudulent use of a credit card.
William Ryberg Jr., 42, was indicted last fall after Tucson police Detective Roger Nusbaum told grand jurors Ryberg, a former treasurer for the Tucson Police Officers Association, arranged for the TPOA to pay more than $67,000 to Ryberg's personal computer repair company without proper authorization, court records show.
Nusbaum also testified Ryberg used association funds to pay $5,000 on a fraudulent credit card that had a $26,000 balance and used an association credit card for personal items, resulting in a balance of more than $30,000, according to court records.
In exchange for Ryberg's guilty plea Thursday, the Arizona Attorney General's Office agreed to recommend probation for Ryberg and to let the charge be designated a misdemeanor if he successfully completes probation.
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Defense attorney Michael Piccarreta told Pima County hearing officer Roger Duncan that Ryberg admits he used the police association's credit card without its permission between June 2004 and October 2008.
Although the plea agreement states Ryberg will not have to pay more than $64,000 in restitution, a full-day hearing will be needed to determine just how much Ryberg will owe, Piccarreta said.
After the hearing, Piccarreta stressed Ryberg is admitting he used the credit card, but not that he misappropriated any funds. He paid the credit-card bills, Piccarreta said.
Ryberg left the association in January 2004, but he worked for it through May 2004, Piccarreta said. He should have turned the credit card in, but continued to use it through October 2008, the defense attorney said.
Ryberg, who began working for the Tucson Police Department in 1992, resigned in November 2008.
In August 2009, Ryberg voluntarily signed an agreement with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training board with the understanding he would never again be able to work as a law-enforcement officer in this state.
Pima County Superior Court Judge Jane Eikleberry is scheduled to sentence Ryberg Aug. 30. If Eikleberry disregards the state's sentencing recommendation for probation, the maximum prison sentence Ryberg could receive is two years.
Had he been convicted of all the charges, he could have received more than 12 years in prison.
On StarNet: Follow the news and events at Pima County's courthouses in Kim Smith's blog, At the Courthouse, at go.azstarnet.com/courthouse
Contact reporter Kim Smith at 573-4241 or kimsmith@azstarnet.com