Crash-Faking Ex-Candidate Gets Jail, Fine

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March 31, 2008 4:07 PM

A former Democratic congressional candidate was sentenced to 20 days in jail and a year of home confinement for faking an auto accident as a desperate bid to revive his flagging campaign, according to WMUR-TV.

A judge also ordered Gary Dodds to repay various state and local agencies over $20,000 after they spent 27 hours searching for him during the fabricated ordeal.

In a case that drew national headlines, authorities searched for Dodds after his crashed car was discovered without its owner. At the time of the alleged accident, Dodds was trailing in the polls despite having taken out two mortgages on his home to fund his campaign.

When found, Dodds said he had left the car after the accident, wandered through the snowy woods, crossed a river, and spent the night under leaves, where he was found.

A jury convicted Dodds last month after a county prosecutor presented evidence that Dodds was in fact indoors for at least part of the time he was allegedly wandering the New Hampshire wilderness, and had soaked his feet and legs in water to give credence to his tall tale.