Former California Councilman Sentenced for Corruption Involving Bribes and Marijuana Permits

<p>Ricardo Pacheco, a former California councilman, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for accepting bribes related to a police-union contract and commercial marijuana permits. Pacheco, 63, admitted to burying nearly $63,000 in cash in his backyard and was fined $10,000, along with being ordered to forfeit $219,755. The FBI seized $83,145 in cash from him, including the buried amount.</p><p>Pacheco served on the Baldwin Park City Council for over 20 years before resigning in 2020 as part of a plea deal. Federal prosecutors stated that he used his position to collect cash and funneled payments through his church and political groups. The Department of Justice noted that Pacheco and former Compton City Councilman Isaac Jacob Galvan engaged in corrupt activities while in office.</p><p>Between January and October 2018, Pacheco solicited $37,900 from a Baldwin Park police officer in exchange for supporting a contract worth at least $4.4 million over three years for the Baldwin Park Police Association. The officer was cooperating with the FBI during a corruption investigation.</p><p>In October 2018, the officer delivered a $20,000 cash bribe to Pacheco at a coffee shop. Pacheco also directed $17,900 in checks to his church and political action committees controlled by him. He voted in favor of the police association contract in March 2018.</p><p>Pacheco later became an FBI informant after being recorded in a sting operation. This investigation led to six indictments involving over 20 individuals connected to local government and the marijuana industry, including Galvan and other officials.</p><p>The investigation revealed a pay-to-play system surrounding marijuana permits in Baldwin Park, which began allowing marijuana-related activities in 2017. Galvan facilitated $70,000 in bribes from a business seeking a marijuana permit to Pacheco in exchange for political support.</p><p>Galvan also admitted to failing to report approximately $560,525 in income to the IRS from 2017 to 2020, resulting in a tax loss of $115,816. Bai, the owner of the company involved, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison.</p>