For 10 years, Richard Frey’s tenure as city mayor was like a roller-coaster. There were plenty of good days — and some that were bad.

Now at 85, Frey faces another battle: potential jail time after pleading guilty to wire fraud last week. Prosecutors said, from January 2003 to June 2012, Frey devised and executed a scheme to defraud the co-owners of the Clarion Hotel, Marina & Conference Center and the owner of Fieldbrook Foods by inducing them to make contributions to his mayoral and other political campaigns.

In all, Frey spent $54,361 for personal benefit. But the money was not tax dollars or funds from the city. They were campaign contributions — money given to Frey willingly in the hopes of boosting his election chances.

Sentencing is scheduled in May for the former mayor, who could face months or more of jail time. That, we believe, is far too harsh at this point in his life. “Because of the huge amount of community support that we received on behalf of Mayor Frey, I’m going to submit some character reference letters and other recommendations and we’ll get those to the judge in advance,” his attorney Cheryl Meyers-Buth said.

Make no mistake, punishment has to happen. But jail time, with cells currently packed with recurring criminals and no room for others, seems too extreme. Probation would be the better route.