Feb.11, 2010, 06:01:00 AM
Teresa Adams pleaded no contest Wednesday to state charges of racketeering and money laundering and exposed herself to the same prison sentence as her boss.
Adams could get a minimum of more than six years and a maximum of 60 years, the same prison time former Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris faces.
Morris also pleaded no contest last week to racketeering and money laundering. He entered the plea after Sabra Thornton, his former chief of staff, was found guilty of grand theft.
Escambia County Circuit Judge Linda Nobles will sentence Adams, Morris and Thornton, but not until after cases against three other former Sheriff’s Office employees are resolved.
Michael Coup, Sandra Norris and David Yacks still face racketeering charges. Coup was Morris’ chief deputy, Norris was his financial director and Yacks was the Sheriff’s Office’s director of information technology.
State Attorney Bill Eddins, who represented his office at the Adams’ hearing Wednesday, said he anticipates Coup, Norris and Yacks will take their cases to trial. They are scheduled to be tried together June 19, Eddins said.
“We anticipate we’ll be ready for trial at that time,” he said. “We do not anticipate those cases will be negotiated.”
Barry Beroset, Adams’ attorney, said he will ask Nobles to consider a sentence less than the 75.75-month state minimum. Adams has and will continue to cooperate with prosecutors Beroset said.
Beroset said he also will tell Nobles that Adams is serving a 36-month sentence on federal charges that duplicate some of the state charges.
Beroset said he also will argue she has no prior criminal record.