Attorneys for former New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran say she is getting treatment for her gambling addiction and ask that she not be sentenced to time behind bars following her guilty plea to embezzlement.
Duran pleaded guilty last month to felony embezzlement charges and four misdemeanors. She is accused of siphoning thousands of dollars from her election account to help pay for gambling. Sentencing is set for Dec. 14.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that in a sentencing memorandum, Duran's attorney argues she should be spared prison time due to her long career in elected office, the potential cost to taxpayers and that she is working on her addiction.
Duran served as a state senator for 18 years before being elected secretary of state in 2010. She resigned last month after her plea.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal.
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