ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Robert Wiesner, the former security director at the Monroe County Water Authority, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of Combination in Restraint of Trade and Competition, also known as New York State's Donnelly Act.

"The prospect of the emotional and financial commitment that it would take to do a 12-week trial and the impact that it would have on all those things and the impact that it would have on my client's family, I think he decided it was time to end this and put it behind him," said James Nobles, Wiesner's attorney, who had previously alleged the case was "a political prosecution."

Wiesner, the husband of former County Executive Maggie Brooks, was scheduled for only a court appearance inside the Hall of Justice.

As part of the agreement, Wiesner paid a $5,000 fine and forfeited $3,000 of illegal gain, which included a discounted personal residential alarm system and monitoring services. He was sentenced by Judge William Kehoe to a three-year conditional discharge.  

Wiesner was originally indicted in Nov. 2013 with three other men: Daniel Lynch, John Maggio and Nelson Rivera, the County's former information technology director. They were all charged with a scheme to rig the bidding process for public works contracts for two LDCs, or Local Development Corporations.

Maggio pleaded guilty in Nov. 2015 to an antitrust crime.  He agreed to testify against the others at trial.

Wiesner admitted in court to working with the other three defendants to restrain competition in the bidding process for the county's $212 million public safety contract.

In a statement, State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said:

"The process for awarding contracts is supposed to be fair, competitive and unbiased.  Tuesday's plea is an important step toward restoring trust in the process and confidence that taxpayer funds are being spent fairly and for their intended purpose."

Nobles says Wiesner's decision to plead guilty came after a lot of thought and consideration.

"This is something we've been talking about for months and months," Nobles said. I think it has to do more with the imminence of the upcoming trial, quite frankly."

County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, who is working toward shutting down LDC's,  issued a statement that reads, in part:

"Today's court proceeding involved a sad past chapter of County government.  Monroe County is in a new day.  Eliminating the LDCs that were the subject of this proceeding will continue to move forward."

The trial for Daniel Lynch and Nelson Rivera is scheduled to begin Feb. 23.