Charles Ryan: Possible plea deal for former Arizona corrections chief

PHOENIX - We have learned that there's now a possible plea deal for Charles Ryan, the former head of the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Ryan, who stepped down from his Department of Corrections post in 2019, was arrested in 2022, after a confrontation with Tempe Police. According to a statement released by police at the time, officers went to an area near Rural and Warner Roads for reports of a person with possible self-inflicted gunshot wound. When officers arrived at the scene, they learned that it was Ryan who was inside the home.

Court documents show Ryan’s wife told officers he drank half a bottle of tequila before firing a gun in the bathroom. Tempe Police officials claim Ryan pointed the gun at police, but never fired. Ryan was eventually taken into custody.

Court documents show possible plea deal

According to recent court documents, prosecutors have sent over a possible plea deal to Ryan's defense team. The possible plea deal was sent over after Ryan pleaded guilty not guilty to two charges: disorderly conduct with a weapon and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

We asked Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell for more on the possible plea deal.

"This is a pending case in front of my office, and I can not specifically speak to it," said Mitchell.

"There’s been a lot of discussion on how he was charged at this case," said attorney Russ Richelsop.

According to Richelsop, the discussions included a number of issues, including why Ryan wasn’t charged with the more serious offense of aggravated assault on an officer.

While Richelsop is not an attorney on the case, he does stress there could be a few reasons behind that decision.

"It’s possible that this case was charged as a disorderly conduct versus an aggravated assault, because the prosecutor was concerned over whether or not they could actually prove that Mr. Ryan pointed the weapon at police officers," said Richelsop.

"In a situation such as this, be assured that I read the police reports personally, I’ve reviewed body cams personally," said Mitchell.

When pushed if this was so-called special treatment on a former public official, she vowed a full explanation would come.

"When this case is resolved, however, it is resolved, I am more than happy to talk to you in detail as to the thought process, throughout this case, how decisions were made by me, but I can’t do that until this case is settled," said Mitchell.

On June 18, FOX 10 learned his attorney submitted evidence that could help him avoid prison time.

Ryan’s attorney presented new mitigating evidence to prosecutors and asked for more time to settle on a plea deal. Ryan is 73 years old, and his age could be a factor.

"There’s potential health or mental health issues that go along with a person being that age. We don’t know … it’s possible that he’s suffering from early stages of dementia. It’s possible he has other health issues," Richelsop said. "While it doesn’t excuse a criminal act, it helps us understand why somebody did something and provides evidence for a lesser penalty for it."

Ryan had no comment when asked if he did.

"If the prosecutor agrees as part of a plea agreement to drop the allegation of dangerousness, that takes mandatory prison off the table. In that case, Mr. Ryan could be looking at probation," Richelsop said.

Ryan was back in court on July 13 where he was expected to enter a plea deal. Instead, the judge postponed his case until Sept. 11. If no plea deal is reached, a trial would start a week later.