Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Crime

CORRUPT: City Manager, Ex-Assembly Member Among 4 Charged In LA Public Embezzlement Scheme


Tres Hermanos Ranch, the site of a proposed solar project at the heart of a public corruption case. Photo credit: Change.org via Times of San Diego

City of Industry, CA. – Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Friday that four men have been charged in connection with the embezzlement and misappropriation of millions of dollars that were supposed to be used to study whether a solar farm was suitable on land to be purchased by the City of Industry.

“Public corruption erodes the trust of our citizenry and hampers progress,” District Attorney Gascón said. “There is no place for it in Los Angeles County.”

William Barkett, Anthony Bouza, Paul Jule Philips and Frank Hill were charged in a 12-count felony complaint.

Barkett faces one count each of misappropriation of public funds, embezzlement, money laundering and grand theft. Bouza faces eight counts of having a financial interest in a contract or purchase made in an official capacity and one count of misappropriation of public funds. Philips faces one count of misappropriation of public funds, while Hill faces two counts of having a financial interest in a contract or purchase made in an official capacity.

Advertisement

Between 2016 and 2018, the City of Industry entered into a land lease agreement with San Gabriel Valley Water and Power LLC to examine a possible solar farm. As part of the deal, the city agreed to advance certain costs that had to be repaid if construction began on a solar farm.

Philips, the city’s former city manager and Bouza, an attorney hired by the city and a private contractor who allegedly helped draft an agreement, handled the funds.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

During that time, roughly $20 million in public funds was allegedly routed to an account controlled by Barkett, who owned SGVWP.

While some of the money was paid to other vendors, Barkett is accused of spending about $8.3 million on personal items. He also allegedly falsified or altered invoices to inflate the amount.

Bouza and Hill, also a private contractor who was retained by the city and a former state assemblymember, are accused of having a financial conflict of interest when they allegedly drafted or influenced contracts with the city.

Facebook Comments



Loading

Advertisement
Click to comment
Advertisement
Advertisement

You May Also Like

Crime

Law&Crime NetworkMon, January 1, 2024 10:30pmURL:Embed: In 2024, “Doomsday cult” prophet Chad Daybell is scheduled to go to trial — Idaho Murders suspect Bryan...

Crime

WASHINGTON (FTC / News Release) – The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general today sued Amazon.com, Inc. alleging that the online retail...

Crime

PHOTO CREDIT: JABIN BOTSFORD/THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES Donald Trump’s legal team is attempting to have the federal election subversion case in...

Crime

Department of Defense / News Release: Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a new security assistance package to support Ukraine’s...

Crime

President Biden Holds a Joint Press Conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia Facebook Comments Advertisement. Scroll to continue...

Crime

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – A search warrant executed last week in Morgantown led to the recovery of a large batch of “Rainbow Fentanyl,” a...

Crime

Navarrete could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 49 years in prison if convicted of all charges, according to prosecutors An Arizona state senator...

Crime

Law&Crime NetworkFri, September 8, 2023 10:30pmURL:Embed: YouTube mom Ruby Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested last week after Franke’s 12-year-old son...

Covid-19

 Corrine Lund is a nurse who has absolutely had enough of the lies. Lund came forward on “The Stew Peters Show” to reveal what...

Crime

President Biden Delivers Remarks on Maui and Hurricane Idalia Response Facebook Comments Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading. Previous...

Missing

The massive search for Gabby Petito after the Florida woman vanished in September and was later found dead in a Wyoming national park has...

Crime

AFP via Getty Images WASHINGTON – During a Wednesday press conference, a cheat sheet used by President Joe Biden was revealed,...

Advertisement