Posted on March 20, 2013 By Tony Castro Justice
Former Bell, Calif. mayor Oscar Hernandez, left, and defendant Victor Bello, right listens to closing arguments in a massive city corruption trial. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Irfan Khan, Pool)
In what some have called the worst case of Latino political corruption in America, five officials were convicted Wednesday of bleeding dry the predominantly Hispanic Los Angeles suburb of Bell where they once ruled like emperors.
Former Mayor Oscar Hernandez and ex-council members Teresa Jacobo, George Mirabal, Victor Bello and George Cole were found guilty of misappropriating public funds by collecting exorbitant salaries or serving on boards and commissions that seldom, if ever, met.
Pastor Luis Artiga was acquited
Only Luis Artiga, a pastor, was acquitted on all counts. He had been appointed to the Bell City Council long after salaries for council members had been excessively boosted.
Artiga wiped away tears as the court clerk read the jury's verdict concluding that the special allegations that he took property exceeding $65,000 and $100,000 were also found to be not true.
Former City Manager Robert Rizzo, who is accused of being the mastermind of the alleged corruption scheme, is awaiting trial separately, along with former assistant Angela Spaccia, on corruption-related charges.
Most of the defendants are Hispanics who took advantage of a predominantly Latino community where they were accused of fattening their paychecks.
Their corruption sparked state legislative reforms, the recall of the sitting council, a tax refund for residents and local, state and federal investigations.
The defendants were accused of misappropriating public funds by collecting exorbitant salaries for sitting on four city boards—the Community Housing Authority, Surplus Property Authority, Public Financing Authority and Solid Waste and Recycling Authority.
Defense attorneys argued that their clients had been wrongly accused, maintaining they worked diligently for the city and earned their salaries.
Five of the six defendants guilty
The jury found five of the six defendants guilty on about half the counts of misappropriating public funds, among them:
—Hernandez guilty on five counts related to the Solid Waste Authority and not guilty on the five counts related to the Public Finance Authority.
—Jacobo guilty on five counts relating to the Solid Waste and Recycling Authority, not guilty on five counts related to the Public Finance Authority.
—Mirabal guilty on five counts relating to the Solid Waste and Recycling Authority, not guilty on five counts related to the Public Finance Authority.
—Bello guilty on four counts relating to the Solid Waste and Recycling Authority, not guilty on four counts relating to the Public Finance Authority.
—Cole guilty on two counts relating to the Solid Waste and Recycling Authority, not guilty on two counts relating to the Public Finance Authority.
The defendants faced a range from 12 to 25 years if convicted on all counts.
The two-week trial also underscored how poorly equipped most of these officials were to hold public office.
According to his attorney, Hernandez had only a grade-school education and was known more for his heart than his intellect.
Source: VOXXI News
