Chinese Estate Developer's Coy Docked for Corruption

Chinese Real Estate Developer’s L.A.-Based Company Found Guilty of Paying Over $1 Million in Bribes to L.A. Politician José Huizar LOS ANGELES – Based on the actions of its agents, including its billionaire Chinese real estate developer owner, a downtown Los Angeles-based company was found guilty today of paying more than $1 million in bribes – including luxury trip expenses, casino gambling chips and a sham loan – to then-Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar to obtain city approval to build a 77-story skyscraper. After the jury deliberated for less than three hours, Shen Zhen New World I LLC was found guilty of all eight counts it faced: three counts of honest service wire fraud, four counts of interstate and foreign travel in aid of bribery, and one count of bribery. The owner of Shen Zhen – Wei Huang, 57, a resident of Shenzhen, China, who also maintains a residence in San Marino – is also charged in this case, but he has yet to make a court appearance in this matter. He is a fugitive believed to be in China. According to evidence presented at trial, in 2010, Shen Zhen – on behalf of its owner – purchased the L.A. Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The property was located in the 14th City Council District, whose representative at that time was José Huizar. As part of his roles on the Los Angeles City Council, Huizar was the chairman of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, commonly referred to as the PLUM Committee, which oversaw major commercial and residential development projects in the city. In June 2018, Shen Zhen filed an application with the Los Angeles City Planning Department to redevelop the L.A. Grand Hotel into a skyscraper featuring a mix of residential and commercial uses. From February 2013 to November 2018, Shen Zhen, acting through Huang, provided Huizar and his aide George Esparza with cash, casino gambling chips, flights on private jets and commercial airlines, stays at luxury Las Vegas hotels and casinos, expensive meals, spa services, prostitution services, political contributions, and a $600,000 collateral for Huizar to confidentially settle a pending sexual harassment lawsuit against Huizar by a former staffer that threatened his career. At the time Shen Zhen provided these items, it did so intending to influence Huizar to take official acts to benefit the L.A. Grand Hotel redevelopment project, a project that would have transformed Shen Zhen’s hotel into a 77-floor mixed use skyscraper that would have been the tallest such structure west of the Mississippi River. Specifically, Shen Zhen intended that Huizar benefit the project by presenting motions and resolutions in various city committees; voting on the project in the PLUM Committee and City Council; taking action in the PLUM Committee to expedite the approval process of the project; exerting pressure on other city officials to influence the approval process of the project; and introducing and voting on city resolutions to enhance the professional reputation and marketability of Wei Huang. United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a January 23, 2023 sentencing hearing, at which time the company is expected to face a multi-million dollar fine. Huizar and former Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, which include racketeering conspiracy and multiple bribery counts, and are scheduled to go to trial on February 21, 2023. Esparza pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of racketeering conspiracy, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2023. Federal prosecutors have now convicted a total of nine defendants along with receiving over $3 million in criminal penalties to resolve their investigation into two other major real estate development companies, as a result of Operation “Casino Loyale,” the ongoing corruption investigation into Los Angeles City Hall being conducted by the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office. Salvador Huizar, José Huizar’s brother who testified as a witness for the prosecution in the Shen Zhen trial and is expected to testify at his brother’s trial, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2023 after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of making false statements to federal investigators. In the first Huizar-related trial in this case, a federal jury on June 27 found real estate developer Dae Yong Lee, a.k.a. David Lee, 57, of Bel Air, and 940 Hill LLC, a Lee-controlled company, guilty of felony charges, including fraud and bribery, for providing $500,000 in cash to Huizar and his special assistant in exchange for their help in resolving a labor organization’s appeal of their downtown Los Angeles development project. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled for January 30, 2023. Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, Assistant United States Attorneys Susan S. Har and J. Jamari Buxton, also of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castañeda of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, are prosecuting this case. Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s email tip line at pctips-losangeles@fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565. Source-FBI
Solomon Adewunmi is the Editor-in-Chief of New Federation (news2day.emyspot.com), People(2day.emyspot.com) and Federationewsday(one.emyspot.com) He attended Ajeromi Ifelodun High School, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos and the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. He possesses - * BBC/EC CERTIFICATE IN NEWS JOURNALISM (FEB. 2001) * CERTIFICATE IN ARTS AND CULTURE CRITICISM (NANTAP MAY 2001) * CERTIFICATE IN PEACE JOURNALISM (JUSTICE, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE COMMISSION) *CERTIFICATE IN CONFLICT ANALYSIS[UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMME, OCT.2004] *CERTIFICATE IN INTERFAITH CONFLICT RESOLUTION( UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE, JAN. 2009).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Understanding Repression

Image
The bad harvest of 1792 in England, the grave discontent among the people, the high rate of unemployment, the prohibitive prices of food items, repression by the government among numerous other factors had adverse effects on its socio-economic and political development. In Nigeria in 2021, insecurity, hunger, poverty, the high unemployment rate, violent crimes, incompetence, misplaced priorities, mediocrity, the beautification of lies and falsehood, the condemnable activities of state actors and their agents have visible prints in every part of the country for the people to see. Indeed, the insinuation is that leadership at all levels has derailed. The ignoble roles played by the likes of John Castle, Oliver, and George Edwards, all provocative agents of the government and spies, have further dented the image of the leadership and also eroded its credibility. The actions of Pitt in the House of Commons and Grenville in the Lords resulted in the passage into law of the Seditious Meetin...
Read more

Emerging Natural Factors

Image
In most countries around the world, the interest of an individual has never been greater than those of these countries. However, this is not the case in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa.Indeed, a political party that has attained political power, is at an advantage to address the fundamental national question revolving around equality and justice. Unfortunately, in Nigeria today, the political party in power is proud to have regional and ethnic alliances which have ensured a divided country. The rule of law is increasingly being rubbished on a daily basis while political and religious intolerance is now the culture and tradition.The unabating state of insecurity and the unending violence which has claimed several thousands of lives, suggests that the former and the latter have become means to various ends for Those in Authority. A political party ought to be a medium for the expression of the choice of the electorate and the avenue through which like-minded people may expr...
Read more

The Last Resort of The Common Man : Nigerians Keep Hope Alive On The Judiciary

Image
The Justice Kayode Esho panel report on the Judiciary of 1994, indicted several Judges in Nigeria for wrongdoing.  Although the report recommended most of the Judges, including Justice N.S.N Onnogben, then a Judge of the Appeal court , Calabar, Cross River state, for retirement/dismissal, the Judicial review panel headed by Justice Bolarinwa Babalakin gave most of them and Justice Onnogben a clean bill of health, thereby nullifying the recommendations of the Justice Esho panel.  Justice Onnogben was a high court Judge, when the recommendation was made, but was however, promoted to a Judge of the Appeal court.  Again, the Justice Babalakin panel reversed the recommendation by the Justice Esho panel that Justice E.I.D Emeordi of the Delta state Judiciary be dismissed.  This reversal did not go down well with the Delta state government, which eventually retired Justice Emeordi and Justice G.O Akoro. While justifying his retirement, the then Attorney General and...
Read more