Courthouse News Service – by Brandi Buchman
FAIRFAX, Va. (CN) – The former mayor of Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty Monday to a felony drug distribution charge stemming from his arrest in August for selling methamphetamine to undercover officers in exchange for group sex.
Richard Silverthorne, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing crystal meth in Fairfax County Circuit Court. The former mayor of Fairfax is to remain in custody until his June 9 sentencing hearing where he faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
The scandal began after Silverthorne was caught up in a police sting at a Tyson’s Corner hotel.
Police said they received a tip last summer that Silverthorne was using an online dating site to arrange trysts with men in exchange for drugs. According to local police, Silverthorne gave an undercover officer two grams of meth after meeting at the hotel.
Free on bond since the beginning of his case, Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Grace Carroll revoked the privilege Monday, much to the dismay of Silverthorne’s family and friends who were present during sentencing.
Silverthorne resigned from his city position after his arrest. He was also fired from the Fairfax County Public School system, where he worked as a substitute teacher.
The largely white, affluent suburb right outside Washington, D.C. is the second wealthiest county in the nation.
The county has roughly 1.2 million residents, and is also home to some of the nation’s most powerful federal agencies including the CIA.
Median income in Fairfax County hovers right around $115,000 and corporations like Capital One, Northrop Grumman and Volkswagen are among its most prominent employers.