Restitution doubled for former county manager

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Former Pinal County Manager Stanley Griffis’ monthly restitution payments have doubled from $2,000 a month to $4,000.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ordered yesterday the former manager must make larger payments to the plaintiffs, Pinal County and the Arizona Counties Insurance Pool, on the more than $350,000 he still owes.

The 68-year-old Griffis served as county manager from 1989 until 2004 when charges were filed against him for defrauding the county of more than $400,000 in county road-improvement funds, filing his taxes illegally, receiving improper county reimbursements and citing false wages to increase his pension.

Griffis pled guilty to six felony charges in January 2007, receiving three years in prison and seven years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $639,035 in restitution.

When sentenced in 2007, he reported his annual income was $135,500.

Upon his release from prison in 2010, Griffis reported to the adult probation department on his December income and expense report that he spends $500 a month on haircuts, $75 a month on manicures, $800 in dental co-pays, $500 in veterinarian fees, $1,200 for groceries and $185 for phone services.

 

But the lawyers filing for an increase argued that Griffis’ annual combined income from state retirement funds, the military and Social Security adds up to $196,000. They argued he could pay up to $5,000 per month.

The lawyer filing the motion for the state insurance fund, Russell Rea, said in May that increasing Griffis’ payments would give the victims the opportunity to recover the full amount owed by the end of Griffis’ probation in 2017.

“The court’s decision should end the intent to increase payments beyond $2,000,” Rea said today. “My clients want to get paid, and $4,000 is an improvement over what they are getting.”