FORMER PROBATION OFFICER ADMITS URINE SWITCH, ACCEPTING GIFTS

A former federal probation officer admitted in court Thursday that she
switched urine for a client's drug tests in exchange for clothes the client
shoplifted.

Linda Whitehead, who resigned in March after an 18-year career, pleaded
guilty to mail fraud in federal court in Minneapolis. The government said
she falsely certified that the urine was Karen Pluff's and had the samples
mailed for testing.

That allowed Pluff to smoke marijuana after she got out of prison on a
federal drug conspiracy conviction. On one or two occasions, court
documents said, Whitehead smoked marijuana with Pluff during official
probation visits.

During her plea, Whitehead didn't say whose urine was substituted, why she
did it or whether she or Pluff had come up with the idea.

Whitehead, 46, had supervised Pluff since March 1993. Their scheme went on
for almost three years, officials said, but the charge was based on a Jan.
26 mailing.

No details were revealed about the clothing or other stolen items Pluff
gave Whitehead in return, and officials wouldn't say where the goods had
been taken from.

The "gratuities" were worth more than $2,000 but less than $3,000, said
Miles Ehrlich of the U.S. Justice Department, who prosecuted the case.

Phillip Resnick, Whitehead's attorney, put the value at less than $2,000.

The figure is important because sentencing guidelines call for four to 10
months in prison for the larger amount and zero to six months for the
smaller amount.

After accepting Whitehead's guilty plea, U.S. District Judge John Tunheim
called it a "most unfortunate matter."

"It was out of character for her," said Resnick, hinting that mitigating
circumstances would be revealed at her sentencing, which hasn't been
scheduled. "She was a loyal, good government employee."

Because she worked in the Minnesota office, the federal probation office in
Nebraska will prepare the standard background report on her that the judge
will use in determining her sentence.

Meanwhile, Whitehead has agreed to cooperate with federal authorities,
testify at any probation revocation hearings and provide any documents or
tangible items relating to the investigation.

No one involved in the case would say whether Pluff has been or will be
charged, but Resnick said the scheme came to light when Pluff got arrested.
It would be a violation of Pluff's probation to use drugs and not submit to
the urine tests.

- -- Staff writer Greg Gordon contributed to this report. Copyright 1998