LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A former spokesperson for the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police pleaded guilty Thursday to wire fraud after stealing thousands of dollars from the union and fellow officers.

Ryan Straw entered his plea at the Eastern District federal courthouse in Kentucky.

Straw was under investigation for embezzlement as of last November, according to a letter from the FOP board.

According to that letter, Straw convinced other officers to give him money for an investment club. That money was never invested. Straw was also suspected of taking funds from the lodge itself.

The FOP gave Straw the chance to return the money, but he did not.

Straw previously conducted media interviews and spoke about police matters, including accountability issues at the state level.

He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sentencing is pending.

Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby. He won’t be at the Preakness. And that’s becoming a familiar story.  

This marks the second straight year and the third time in five years that the Derby winner has decided not to compete in the Preakness Stakes despite having a healthy horse. The reason is almost always the same: two weeks isn’t enough time.  

Trainer Cherie DeVaux made the call quickly after Golden Tempo’s dramatic last-to-first Derby victory on May 2.  

“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime,” DeVaux said in a statement. “We believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort.”

DeVaux and Golden Tempo are focused on the June 6 Belmont Stakes instead.  

The pattern is pretty clear.  

From 1997 to 2018, every Kentucky Derby winner ran the Preakness, keeping the Triple Crown path intact. That streak ended with Country House, who won the Derby on the disqualification of Maximum Security, was scratched from the Preakness. The sport has been wrestling with the question ever since. Maryland’s racing leaders have considered moving the Preakness one week later, from the third Saturday in May to the fourth, though no change has been made.  

Of the 14 horses entered in the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16, just three made the trip from Churchill Downs. None of them won the Derby. One nearly caused the biggest upset in recent memory.  

Ocelli (Post 2, 6-1)

The most intriguing Derby returnee. Ocelli finished third at 70-1 odds on May 2, giving trainer Whit Beckman and jockey Tyler Gaffalione a surprise ticket to Laurel Park. He was the lone maiden in the Derby field and remains a maiden heading into Saturday. Nobody expected him to be here.  

Incredibolt (post 12, 5-1)

The morning-line co-favorite among Derby runners. Incredibolt finished sixth at Churchill Downs and trainer Riley Mott moved quickly to point him to Laurel Park. Jockey Jaime Torres won the 2024 Preakness aboard Seize the Grey. The connections believe the 1 3/16-mile distance suits Incredibolt better than the Derby’s mile and a quarter.  

Robusta (Post 4, 30-1) 

The longest shot of the Derby trio is Robusta, who finished 14^th of the 14 in the Derby. The question with any horse coming back this quickly after a tough Derby is how much the race took out of him. At 30-1, it seems the market has answered that question.