In denying the request, O’Donnell said, “Release at this time would demean the seriousness of the offenses. As an elected official, defendant’s failure to properly report more than $100,000 worth of transactions made with a campaign debit card — many of which were of a personal nature — are egregious violations of the public trust.”
Luckie had also agreed in his plea deal to serve the three-year sentence, the judge said. “A bargain is a bargain,” O’Donnell wrote.
Luckie, 50, is at Southeastern Correctional Institution near Lancaster. He has served 13 months so far.
Investigators found that Luckie, a Democrat, used his campaign account to write $9,825 in checks to himself, make 169 cash withdrawals totaling $19,000 and conduct 800 debit card transactions totaling almost $40,000. The spending sprees included ATM withdrawals at casinos, a payment on a home equity line of credit, and purchases at Morris Home Furnishings, Weber Jewelers, Nordstrom, Lowe’s, Babies R Us and other retailers.
Luckie agreed to pay back the $11,893 in state salary that he received between his criminal indictment in October 2012 and the end of his legislative term in December 2012. He is banned from running for or holding elective office for five years and he faces three years of probation after his prison release.
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