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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CN) – A former Arkansas judge admitted Thursday to dismissing minor criminal cases in exchange for nude photographs or sexual favors from male defendants.
O. Joseph Boeckmann, a former district court judge in Cross County, Ark., pleaded guilty to wire fraud and witness tampering in a deal with prosecutors that calls for a prison sentence of up to three years.
U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker accepted the 71-year-old’s plea on Thursday in Little Rock, but set his sentencing for an undetermined later date.
Federal prosecutors say Boeckmann admitted to using his position as a district court judge to dismiss traffic citations and misdemeanor criminal charges for young men in exchange for what he claimed was “community service.” He used his access to these individuals during their purported community service to take photographs of them in compromising positions.
In other cases, Boeckmann dismissed pending charges against defendants in exchange for sexually related conduct, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office announcing the plea agreement.
The former judge also admitted in court that he bribed a witness in an attempt to obstruct an official investigation into his scheme.
Boeckmann and his lawyer, Jeff Rosenzweig, refused to comment outside of the courtroom, according to media reports. He has been on home detention since his arrest in October 2016.
Boeckmann’s actions have been described by the head of the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission as among the worst case of judicial misconduct in the state’s history, the Associated Press reported.
Boeckmann served on the bench from 2009 to 2015.
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