A Southern California real estate developer was sentenced Friday to six years in prison for sending a $500,000 bribe to a Los Angeles city councilman on announced the Department of Justice.
David Lee was found guilty of wire fraud and bribery in June 2022.
He was also personally ordered to pay a fine of $750,000 for this conduct and his company was fined $1.5 million, the largest allowed.
Lee planned a major commercial and residential development in downtown Los Angeles, but appealed to then-Alderman Jose Huizar when the project stalled in the city’s approval process, the DOJ said.
Huizar was the project’s local councilor and head of the city’s planning council.
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The alderman demanded a cash bribe, which Lee delivered in installments, including in a paper bag, prosecutors claimed in the sentencing memorandum.
“Despite enjoying a life of privilege and abundance, Lee wanted more,” the note read. “But instead of winning it, he wanted a guaranteed shortcut to circumvent the city process and silence community opponents who threatened to thwart his attempts to expand his substantial real estate empire.”
Huizar and two of his associates pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges. The former alderman also pleaded guilty to tax evasion and organized crime charges in January.
He has agreed to serve at least nine years in prison, but has not yet been sentenced.
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