Disgraced Orange County sheriff got $215,000 pension

While it's not quite the crime of the century, it has many Golden Staters feeling ripped off: A former California sheriff, convicted of witness tampering, got more than $215,000 in pension checks last year.

Michael S. Carona, who is free on bail as he appeals his conviction and a five-year sentence, retired before he could be fired so his pension is in good standing, says the RightJuris blog.

Carona is just one of about 400 retirees who received more than $100,000 in checks last year. The information was released by the Orange County Employees Retirement System after the nonprofit California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility group sued. Also on the list is Robert Citron, whose investments as Orange County treasurer-tax collector led the county into bankruptcy in 1994, says the Los Angeles Times.

Orange County's retirement system has a $3.7 billion unfunded liability.