Jury convicts former Murrieta councilman

After one day of deliberations, a Riverside County jury convicted Murrieta City Councilman Warnie Enochs on 12 charges including forgery.

He will be sentenced on Feb. 6 and faces up to five years in state prison.

Enochs was elected to City Council in 1995 and served for three years. He lost his attempt for a fourth term during the November elections.

The electrician was arrested in August 2006 after a Riverside County District Attorney’s office investigator talked with Enochs’ wife at the time, Julia Enochs. He was arrested and charged with 13 counts ranging from forgery to falsifying records.

A jury trial began several weeks ago and closing arguments were held Tuesday. Jury deliberations started after closings and by 3 p.m. Wednesday jurors alerted the court they had a decision.

Enochs was acquitted of extortion.

A majority of the convictions were connected to a scheme to try and defraud his wife during divorce proceedings. He also was convicted of forging a fix-it-ticket after getting a boating ticket in Big Bear.