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SALT LAKE CITY — Saying he made a "poor choice" and was "very embarrassed" about what he did, an emotional Beau Babka pleaded guilty Thursday to misusing public funds.
"Today I'm being responsible for what happened," he said, wiping back tears at the Matheson Courthouse.
Babka, a former high-profile police officer and congressional candidate, accepted a plea deal Thursday, pleading guilty to two reduced charges of attempted misuse of public funds, a class A misdemeanor. He had originally been charged with two counts of misuse of public funds, a third-degree felony, for using his city-issued gas card to put fuel in his personal vehicles.
He was ordered to serve 80 hours of community service and will be required to pay back the $120.58 he spent on gas in addition to a $200 fine. As part of his plea bargain, Babka was allowed to take a "plea in abeyance," meaning the charges will be dismissed in one year if he complies with those terms and commits no other crimes.
Before accepting his guilty pleas, 3rd District Judge Royal Hansen asked Babka to tell the court what message his guilty pleas send to others.
"(Police officers) are held to a higher standard, and that wasn't met, and I apologize for what I've done," he said.
Prosecutors said they were satisfied with the deal, noting that this was Babka's first offense and that they had dealt with worse offenders who misused significantly more than $120 in public money.
"It's an appropriate decision in the interest of justice," said prosecutor Rob Parrish, who also told Hansen that Babka's case was not being treated differently because of his former law enforcement status. Parrish said the plea deal came after "extensive negotiation."
For Babka, $120 in gas has cost him more than just a criminal conviction. "My career as a police officer is gone," he told the court.
In January, Babka, 48, told investigators he was left "financially destitute" following his bid for Salt Lake County sheriff. He lost that race, as well as his 2004 run for Congress. A law enforcement veteran of almost 20 years, Babka served as both the police chief of South Salt Lake and as undersheriff to current Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder.
"We're waiting for the other shoe to drop," Babka's attorney, Greg Skordas, told the court Thursday.
Next week, Babka goes before the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training to be interviewed as part of its investigation. The POST board will decide whether Babka will be decertified as a police officer.
Based on his guilty pleas, the fact the case could be dismissed in a year, that it was a small amount of money taken and when considering all of his life's work, Skordas is hopeful the former police chief could return to law enforcement in Utah some day.
But he admitted it would be at least a year before Babka would be able to return.
Outside the courtroom, Babka told reporters his case was just a "bump in the road" and he hoped it wouldn't represent his legacy in law enforcement.
"Shame on me for what has happened," he said, adding that he still loved law enforcement, and he was "sorry I put kind of a darkness over it for a little while."
But Babka said officers are rightfully held to a higher standard. "When we put the badge on, that's what the public expects. They expect it that way."
Hansen said he was impressed with Babka for owning up to what he did and taking responsibility and recognizing he was held to a higher standard. As part of his sentence, he also ordered Babka to write a letter of apology to Cottonwood Heights, essentially saying the same thing.
Email:preavy@ksl.com
