Former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar was sentenced to 13 years in prison Friday in a corruption case involving at least $1.5 million in cash and benefits in exchange for help in approving downtown LA real estate projects. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News on Jan. 26, 2024.
Former Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar has another month before he has to begin his 13-year prison sentence as the result of convictions for accepting bribes and cheating on taxes, new court filings revealed Friday.
Huizar, who pleaded guilty in January 2023 to felony charges of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and tax evasion, was supposed to begin his prison term Friday, but he was granted a delay due to a confidential medical matter.
Instead, Huizar was to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons no later than Oct. 7.
Papers filed in Los Angeles federal court show that defense attorneys sought a self-surrender date of Dec. 2 based on “a new, unexpected, and extraordinary event,” apparently connected to undisclosed medical reasons. The government did not object, documents show.
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In mid-April, the judge granted a continuance of surrender from April 30 to Aug. 30. Huizar's attorney indicated at the time in a filing that his argument in support of the delay would contain “private medical information'' and should be filed under seal.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office on Friday declined comment.
Along with the 13-year prison term, Huizar was ordered in January to pay nearly $444,000 in restitution to the city of Los Angeles and almost $39,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. A court filing in February signed by the judge indicates Huizar has paid the latter amount in full.
Huizar represented Council District 14, which includes downtown Los Angeles and its surrounding communities, from 2005 until his resignation in 2020.
The 55-year-old admitted to operating a pay-to-play scheme in which he and others unlawfully used his office to give favorable treatment to real estate developers who financed and facilitated cash bribes, campaign donations and other illicit benefits.
Federal prosecutors said Huizar monetized position and leveraged his political clout for over $1.5 million in cash bribes, gambling chips, luxury trips, political contributions, prostitutes, extravagant meals, services, concerts and other gifts.
