Former sheriff's deputy admits to laundering money

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — A former Snohomish County sheriff's sergeant has pleaded guilty to helping launder money from a prostitution operation run out of roadside coffee stands.

The Daily Herald reports 60-year-old Darrell O'Neill pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit money laundering and official misconduct in Snohomish County Superior Court. He faces up to a year in jail.

The case stemmed from an investigation into coffee stands where bikini-clad baristas were allegedly engaged in sex shows and prostitution to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in tips.

Two women who played key roles in the operation have pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution. Prosecutors say the women traded sex for O'Neill's help.

O'Neill initially claimed he frequented the stands for police work. He later admitted he had traded information in exchange for sexual contact with the baristas. He resigned after his arrest in June 2013.