When you are involved in politics, making sure that everything you do is on the up and up is vital. In some cases, people might mistake things that you do. For one California state senator, an FBI sting and lengthy investigation led to him facing charges.
The senator allegedly accepted $100,000 in bribes, no-show jobs for his children, and lavish trips in exchange for supporting legislation that benefited a hospital involved in billing fraud. He is also accused of participating in a tax scheme in the film industry that was really part of the FBI sting.
He allegedly accepted trips to Las Vegas and privately chartered planes. His son was supposedly hired for three summers at a hospital for $10,000 per summer. His daughter was hired for a $3,000 per month job that was actually part of the FBI ruse. Both were allegedly hired for jobs but actually did very little work. It is said that he accepted money from an undercover FBI agent who was acting as a Los Angeles movie studio owner. The money was in exchange for help promoting a bill to expand film industry tax credits.
The Democrat faces a 24-count indictment. He faces almost 400 years in federal prison if he is indicted on all counts. He has been called on to either resign or take a leave of absence from his political position.
His brother also faces criminal charges. He pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder money and seven counts of money laundering. He had to surrender his passport. A $25,000 bail was set. His jury trial is slated to begin April 15. He faces a maximum penalty of 160 years of incarceration.
The charges against these men are serious charges. Each man must ensure he understands the charges against him so that he can learn how to answer the charges. Seeking the advice of an experienced California criminal defense attorney might help these men to understand anything they don’t fully comprehend.
Source: The Washington Post, “California senator charged in big corruption case” No author given, Feb. 21, 2014