Two former Lynwood City Councilmen sentenced to state prison for misappropriating public funds
They paid themselves up to $40,000 annually
COMPTON, Calif.—Two former Lynwood city councilmen were sentenced today to state prison for misappropriating public funds.
Compton Superior Court Judge Eleanor Hunter ordered Louis Byrd, 80, to serve five years in prison, and Fernando Pedroza, 47, to serve four years behind bars.
The two were convicted July 27 of one count each of misappropriation of public funds.
Prosecutors said that Byrd misappropriated $330,000 for his personal use and that Pedroza misappropriated more than $160,000, including a $1,500 charge by Pedroza on a city credit card to pay for a visit to a gentleman's club while on a sister city conference trip in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Under one scheme, they paid themselves up to $40,000 annually—along with their council pay—for participating in two city agencies, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors countered that they were not entitled to additional pay for service in conjunction with the Lynwood Public Finance Authority and Lynwood Information, Inc.
The two have been jailed since just after the jury's verdict.
The two were on the city council when they were charged in April 2007 along with former councilman Arturo Reyes, who pleaded guilty in September 2008 to a felony count of grand theft. Reyes is still awaiting sentencing.
Byrd, then the city's mayor, and Pedroza were recalled in September 2007 in an election prompted by the allegations of corruption.
The case stemmed from a four-year investigation into the council's handling of public funds. The investigation was launched after Faustino Gonzales, who had been placed on leave as Lynwood city manager, approached the District Attorney's Office and met with Dave Demerjian, head deputy of the District Attorney's Public Integrity Division.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A former chief business officer for the Lynwood Unified School District was sentenced today to eight years behind bars for diverting more than $700,000 in public funds for his own use.
William Douglas Agopian, 61, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty Sept. 4 to one felony count each of misappropriation of public funds and filing a false tax return.
LYNWOOD, Calif. — Sheriff’s deputies from the Century Station were credited today with saving a man who was standing on a roof, armed with a knife, screaming for someone to kill him.
Deputies were called to the 10500 block of Long Beach Boulevard on Monday afternoon to deal with the distraught man, who was pacing back and forth, lowering the knife, and then placing its tip on his chest, according to Century Station officials.
Lancaster continues to frame the national debate about the merits of green technology as it welcomes Chinese automaker BYD Co. here to produce electric buses. The city is rapidly becoming known as the “solar capital of the world,” and local officials believe the new manufacturing deal will provide an economic boost on both sides of the Pacific Rim.
BYD Co. (Build Your Dreams) opened shop Wednesday at 46147 BYD Blvd. (formerly 7th Street W., just north of Avenue H) to make the “K9” electric bus destined first for Long Beach Transit.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A federal appeals panel ruled that an informal citizen-led invocation referring to Jesus that opened Lancaster City Council meetings for years did not endorse Christianity, according to a decision obtained today.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded Tuesday that a local bishop’s single reference to Jesus in an invocation in April 2010 was not unconstitutional because it was not used as an attack or promotion of any one religion or government with a particular faith.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Five former Bell city officials were convicted today of misappropriating public funds by accepting exorbitant salaries while representing the small municipality, but jurors acquitted them of some charges and exonerated one former councilman altogether.
