Every day, Californians are faced with decisions that fall within gray areas. Is it okay to accept money under certain circumstances? Is it alright to give benefits to friends? Will you get in trouble for failing to report certain acts? These are all very important questions, and going one way or the other could mean the difference between a good business or personal decision and facing criminal allegations.
The Los Angeles Port Chief is now being forced to confront the latter after being accused of corruption. According to federal authorities, the 57-year-old chief took actions that would have allowed him to benefit financially from the development and implementation of a social networking platform chosen to be the official app for the Port. The chief is also accused of lying to federal agents and tax evasion.
At the heart of the matter are multiple wire fraud charges, which allege that the chief developed a scheme that would defraud both Los Angelinos and the Harbor Department of the ability to receive honest services. The accused is alleged to have accepted bribes and kickbacks, and concealed crucial information from federal investigators.
Accusations related to wire or tax fraud, bribery and other forms of corruption are quite serious. A conviction for white collar crimes can not only ruin an individual’s reputation, but it could land him or her in jail for an excessively long period of time, not to mention the massive fines that may be handed down. All that to say that those accused of these types of crimes have a lot to lose. Therefore, they may benefit from the services of an experienced attorney who may be able to help them fight against the potential penalties they face.
Source: NBC Los Angeles, “LA Port Chief Indicted on Federal Corruption Charges,” Jason Kandel, April 30, 2015