BY LINDA BENTLEY | SEPTEMBER 5, 2012
Former Top Rank boxing promoter denied early release from probation
'While the defendant’s memorandum states that he was sentenced to 3 years of supervised probation … he was actually sentenced to 6 years’
PHOENIX – Peter McKinn (r), the disgraced former Top Rank boxing promoter, who bounced a $5,000 check in May 2004 to boxer Luis Ramon “Yory Boy” Campas and his trainer Joe Diaz and then conspired with others, including Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, to commit forgery and perjury to cover it up, was just denied early release from probation.
McKinn also bounced a $500 check to Norm Longtin that same day for the supervisor fee for Campas’ IBA (International Boxing Association) fight, which Diaz ended up covering.
McKinn’s fraudulent scheme resulted in Campas losing his license to box for one year during his prime and Diaz losing his license to train for five years.
On April 1, 2011, McKinn entered a plea agreement, pleading guilty to three amended counts out of five for theft, forgery and perjury, all as class 6 undesignated offenses, meaning once he completes his sentence and probation the charges can be reduced to misdemeanors.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Arthur Anderson sentenced McKinn to three years of supervised probation, 50 hours of community service, 30 days in jail and no contact with the victims, unless approved in writing by the court on an amended count of theft.
On count 3, solicitation to commit forgery, and “taking these further steps to cover up,” Anderson sentenced McKinn to three years of supervised probation to run concurrent with count 1, 50 hours of community service and 60 days in jail to run consecutive to count 1.
With aggravated circumstances associated with count 4, Anderson sentenced McKinn to three years of supervised probation to run consecutive to the concurrent three years for counts 1 and 3, 50 hours of community service and 60 days in jail to run consecutively.
Anderson dismissed count 2, fraudulent schemes and artifices, and count 4, theft, class 2 and class 3 felonies, as per the plea agreement.
He then asked, “What do we know about restitution?”
Since restitution had not been addressed, Anderson agreed to keep it open for six months and said, “If you can’t stipulate an amount, we’ll have a hearing.”
At the restitution hearing before Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Dawn Bergin on Feb. 24, 2012, McKinn was ordered to pay a total of $7,500 in restitution within 30 days, with $4,000 paid to Campas and $3,500 paid to Diaz.
Because a convicted felon cannot hold a boxing or gaming license, it is in McKinn’s best interest to complete his probation and have the charges designated misdemeanors.
On July 10, 2012, McKinn’s Attorney Brian Russo filed a motion for early termination of McKinn’s probation.
Bergin denied the motion in a minute entry order posted Aug. 31, stating: “The court has reviewed the defendant’s Motion for Early Termination of Probation and the state’s response.
Both the state and the victims object to early termination. While the defendant’s memorandum states that he was sentenced to 3 years of supervised probation on April 1, 2011, he was actually sentenced to 6 years, two concurrent three year terms followed by a consecutive three year term. Thus, the defendant has not even served one-third of his probation term. The defendant also states that his probation has recently been changed from supervised to unsupervised. The Court can find no such order on the docket.”
