Joe Wrona appeared shackled in 3rd District Court the afternoon of Dec. 19, and a judge sentenced him to prison.
The former attorney was charged with rape then admitted to felony sexual abuse and incest in 2023 for acts involving his adult biological daughter.
He agreed to a plea deal to serve reduced time in jail, not prison, and could never contact his daughter again.
Then he sent her a letter in September.
Judge Richard Mrazik reimposed the original sentence Dec. 19, carrying one to 15 years in prison, for the probation violation.
The daughter said in a victim impact statement she wants to see him serve the full 15 years.
“Considering his actions, he got a pretty sweet ride out of the justice system,” she wrote. “All he had to do was leave me alone.”
The judge said the details of Wrona’s alleged violation were relevant. Mrazik said Wrona was accused of sending the letter from Florida with postage from Utah, “purporting to be from someone else.”
“That conduct, which includes impersonation of another person, shows, demonstrates, that you are not a good candidate for supervision in the community,” Mrazik told Wrona.
Wrona admitted to sending the letter, but said it was an “impulsive” action which he wouldn’t do again. His attorney Earl Xaiz asked for jail, not prison time, and for Wrona to be banned from leaving the state.
Prosecutor Joe Hill said the contents of the letter were “diabolical” and “manipulative.” Hill contended the facts don’t support Wrona’s claims of impulse. Among them, he had to have searched for his daughter’s current address.
She wrote that receiving the letter was a “gut shot,” causing pain, paranoia and leaving her feeling unsafe again.
“My future should no longer suffer because of this man’s actions,” the daughter wrote.
Wrona was expected to be transferred from jail to the Utah Department of Corrections the following week. He still is barred from contacting his daughter.
It wasn’t immediately clear if he would receive credit for time served in the Summit County jail or if he would file an appeal.
