AMERICANALMANAC (Alan Benson) - Corruption exposed: Ex-California councilman sentenced after FBI uncovers cash buried in backyard
Former Baldwin Park Councilman Ricardo Pacheco was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for taking bribes and hiding nearly $63,000 in cash in his backyard, exposing the depth of local government corruption that left taxpayers footing the bill. Federal prosecutors revealed that Pacheco, who served on the Baldwin Park City Council for over twenty […] The post Corruption exposed: Ex-California councilman sentenced after FBI uncovers cash buried in backyard appeared first on American Almanac .
Former Baldwin Park Councilman Ricardo Pacheco was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for taking bribes and hiding nearly $63,000 in cash in his backyard, exposing the depth of local government corruption that left taxpayers footing the bill. Federal prosecutors revealed that Pacheco, who served on the Baldwin Park City Council for over twenty years, admitted to soliciting and receiving bribes in exchange for advancing lucrative city contracts and marijuana permits. The FBI’s investigation found Pacheco went so far as to bury tens of thousands of dollars in cash behind his home, a vivid symbol of how far some local officials will go to evade accountability and enrich themselves at public expense. Pacheco’s sentencing comes…Open