Former State Attorney Jeffrey Siegmeister has pleaded guilty to several charges brought against him, admitting he used his position of power to benefit him.
Siegmeister was the elected state attorney for the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida from 2013 to 2019.
On Feb. 24, 2021, he was charged with breaking several laws, when it was discovered he used his position to conspire with defense attorney Marion Michael O’Steen and reduce or dismiss criminal charges for O’Steen’s clients, in exchange for money or other benefits.
READ THE FULL INDICTMENT HERE:
Jeffrey Siegmeister Indictment by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
On Tuesday morning, almost a year to the day he was charged, Siegmeister appeared inside the federal courthouse, but this time, in a different role than the one he once held.
Cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom, but Action News Jax reporter Jessica Barreto observed that Siegmiester made an appearance in a prison jumpsuit inside the courtroom, where he admitted his guilt to four of those charges related to his unlawful activity.
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Those charges are conspiracy to use a facility of commerce for unlawful activity, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion, wire fraud, and filing a false tax return.
In total, he could face a maximum of 48 years in prison.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said David Phelps, who had to take over as state attorney for the remainder of Siegmeister’s term. ”We finally have some justice,” he added. “He had to look at the judge and say, yes, I am guilty.”
Phelps recalled the challenges he encountered once he stepped in. “It was a serious blow to the residents,” he said. “There were certainly morale issues within the office that we tried to address.”
And now, he’s almost at the point where he can close this chapter for good.
”It’s a relief you know, that we’ve gotten to this point and [I’m] just looking forward to the sentencing phase now to see what happens,” he said.
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Though he says the office is now in good hands, he stresses it’s still critical for everyone to stay involved and transparent.
”It’s important for people to know what’s going on. It’s important for people to go to court when they’re summoned and to be on juries and watch what happens and try to stay informed,” he explained. “And it’s important for public officials to make sure the public does know what’s going on and not try to do everything behind closed doors.”
As part of his plea deal, Siegmeister has also agreed to pay victims for any financial losses they suffered as a result of his actions. That amount will be determined at Siegmeister’s sentencing hearing, where a district judge will tell him how many years he is facing in prison.
PLEA AGREEMENT BELOW:
Plea Agreement by ActionNewsJax on Scribd