A federal judge on Friday sentenced former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan to 12 years in prison for his role in a sprawling City Hall corruption case that also brought down a former councilmember. U.S.
District Court Judge John F. Walter handed down the sentence in a courtroom packed with Chan's supporters, stating that "corruption at any level will not be tolerated." A jury in March on a dozen counts — including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, honest services fraud and giving false statements to investigators — in a case focused on financial benefits provided by real estate developers with projects in former Councilmember Jose Huizar’s district.
Officials said Chan solicited and accepted more than $750,000 in bribe money for himself and facilitated more than a million in bribes from property developers to Huizar. “Chan abused his public office and sought to deepen the corruption of city politics for the benefit of his own business interests,” U.S.
Atty. Martin Estrada said in a statement. Chan's sentence, Estarada added, "sends a message to the public and City Hall alike that our government should not be for sale and those that undermine our democracy through pay-to-play schemes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
” On Friday morning, Chan's attorney, Michael Freedman, argued that his client didn't deserve a sentence "anywhere close" to that of Huizar, who was in January to 13 years on racketeering and tax evasion charges. Chan's defense .