Campaign-sign thief calls case 'crooked'

A Grantsville man convicted this week of stealing a campaign sign during the November 2005 mayoral election says he is being unfairly targeted by city officials, prosecutors and local police.

Dennis McBride, 63, was found guilty Monday of misdemeanor theft over the incident in which witnesses said he removed one of Mayor Byron Anderson's campaign signs.

Tooele Valley Justice Court Judge William Pitt sentenced McBride to a suspended six-month jail sentence and nine months probation. In addition, McBride must pay $587 in fines and $300 in court-appointed attorney fees.

The actual imposition of the sentence was delayed for 30 days in anticipation of McBride appealing his conviction to district court, which he said he plans to do.

"With the bad luck I'm having with the system, I'm sure the judge will incarcerate me," McBride said Thursday. "If I don't appeal, they'll throw my (expletive) in jail."

McBride, who managed Craig Anderson's 2005 campaign for mayor against Byron Anderson, denies stealing or taking down any of the competition's signs.

"I was targeted and set up," he said. "I didn't steal a sign."

The Nov. 5, 2005, theft was investigated by the city police department and eventually prosecuted to its conclusion by City Attorney Ron Elton.

The Grantsville justice court judge recused herself, and the case was transferred to Tooele Valley Justice Court. The case's key witness was the Grantsville mayor's daughter-in-law.

Elton said Thursday that he did not believe that the prosecution of one of the mayor's political foes by Grantsville city posed a conflict of interest.

"Prosecutors are always advocating the position of the victims, (and) we have a system with an impartial judge to make the final decision," he said.

But McBride says city officials are out to get him over a federal racketeering lawsuit he filed in October 2005 against the city, its police department, his estranged wife and local bankers. The suit was later dismissed.

McBride said the fact that he was prosecuted over theft of a $7 campaign sign supports his claims.

"It's ludicrous," he said. "(Prosecutors) spent 16 months on an investigation over a $7 sign. That's a waste of taxpayers' money. Everything about this is crooked. Over the mountain (in Salt Lake County), it wouldn't even get to court. This town is out of control."

Although campaign signs are often targets of thefts in Salt Lake City and around the valley, criminal prosecutions are infrequent.

Elton said his office is typically not overburdened "to the point where we can't give attention to a crime that comes before us. My position is, if there is probable cause to believe a crime has been committed, we pursue that."

Attempts to reach Byron Anderson for comment Thursday were unsuccessful. Scott Broadhead, McBride's attorney, was also unavailable.

---

E-MAIL: jpage@desnews.com; amyjoi@desnews.com