ST. LOUIS (AP) – The investigator who played a key role in former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ resignation in 2018 pleaded guilty to misdemeanor evidence tampering on Wednesday, a day before jury selection was set to start in his trial on seven felony counts including perjury.
Prosecutors dropped the felony charges against private investigator William Tisaby, replacing it with the one misdemeanor. Tisaby received a suspended sentence of one year of probation.
Tisaby’s trial was set to unfold as Greitens is running for U.S. Senate and amid allegations of abuse from his ex-wife.
Tisaby was indicted in 2019 on six counts of perjury and one count of evidence tampering, crimes prosecutors say he committed while investigating allegations that Greitens took a compromising photo of a woman and threatened to use it as blackmail.
In a related case, a hearing is set April 11 over the fate of St. Louis prosecutor who hired Tisaby. Missouri’s chief disciplinary counsel has accused Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner of concealing evidence that might have helped Greitens.