The former mayor of Maywood and 10 other people have been charged in a corruption probe alleging they solicited and received bribes, misappropriated public funds and embezzled money over a three-year period.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged former Maywood mayor and councilman Ramon Medina with six counts of soliciting a bribe, three counts each of conspiracy to commit a crime, embezzlement and failing to file campaign statements, two counts each of grand theft, misappropriation of public funds and perjury under oath and one count of failure to report payments.
He allegedly sought and received bribes from several of his co-defendants who “sought to gain favor and do business” in Maywood, described as a small, yet densely populated city.
The city outsourced much of its city services, including legal services, engineering, building inspections and park maintenance, and relied on third-party, private vendors, officials explained.
Medina, 61, along with former City Manager Reuben Martinez and Building and Planning Director David Mango, allegedly tried several times to sell three redevelopment properties for less than half of their fair market value. Despite the fact that the properties were supposed to be developed for affordable housing, the men allegedly sought a buyer who would build a 24/7 charitable bingo hall, officials said.
The three defendants also allegedly promised potential buyers favorable financing terms and agreed to share a portion of the profits that came from the bingo hall.
Medina is accused of soliciting bribes from a prospective buyer, — co-defendant Paul Garcia — to recall a Maywood councilmember, officials said.
Between September 2016 and June 2018, the three defendants allegedly authorized contractor Felipe Velarde to complete construction projects for Medina’s friends and supporters using public funds. This included building handicap ramps and driveways on private properties, installing speed bumps on streets that did not meet industry standards and repair work at Mango’s Studio City home, officials said.
The city paid Velarde a total of $1.53 million during that period, “sometimes doubling and tripling payments to him compared to the previous two-year period.”
Officials say Medina also allegedly directed city employees to void or dismiss parking tickets issued to his friends and supporters.
“Public officials should be working to benefit the people, not their own bank accounts,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “Pay-to-play politics have no place in Los Angeles County and we are all deserving of a clean government.”
Medina and his son, Ramon Medina Jr., are also accused of having more than 40 roosters used for cockfighting and paraphernalia used to train the birds for fighting.
Other defendants and charges include:
- Reuben Martinez, 57, was charged with two counts each of conspiracy and grand theft, three counts each of embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds.
- David Mango, 58, was charged with two counts each of conspiracy, grand theft, embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds.
- George Del Junco, 71, who was a bingo hall promoter, was charged with two counts of conspiracy and one count of bribing an executive officer.
- Paul Garcia, 57, described as Del Junco’s business associate, was charged with three counts of bribing an executive officer.
- Hector Castillo, 72, who runs an engineering firm, was charged with one count each of conspiracy, bribing an executive officer and grand theft and two counts of embezzlement.
- Felipe Velarde, 60, a general maintenance contractor, was charged with one count of conspiracy, two counts each of grand theft, embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds.
- George Tello Ramirez, 57, a disc jockey, was charged with one count of soliciting a bribe.
- Felipe Aguirre, 68, described as a recall proponent, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failing to file campaign statements.
- Mario Beltran, 43, a political consultant, was charged with one count of filing false or fraudulent recall petitions.
- Ramon Medina Jr., 32, faces one count of conspiracy to possess gamecocks for fighting purposes.