The Huntington Park City Hall and the homes of current and former city council members were searched Wednesday as part of a corruption investigation, the LA County District Attorney’s Office announced.
According to the DA, electronics, documents and records were seized as part of the investigation and is called Operation Dirty Pound.
The warrant was provided at the home of Mayor Carina Macias, Councillor Eduardo “Eddy” Martinez, former member Graciera Ortiz and the current councillor’s sister, Marilyn Sanabria. Huntington Park City Manager Ricardo Reyes was accompanied by a warrant, similar to the city’s Public Works Department. Reyes, Macias and other council members could not immediately contact us for comment.
Photos posted on Facebook show police tape packing white vans into the entrance to Huntington Park City Hall and the parking lot. The district attorney said numerous items have been seized from locations, including public records, financial documents, computers, tablets, mobile phones and other electronic devices.
Prosecutors said the warrant was attributable to an ongoing investigation that began in November 2022. Investigators are considering misuse of the millions allocated to the construction of the local aquatic centre in Salt Lake Park, according to a statement. The city allocated more than $20 million to the project, spending around $14 million even though nothing has been built yet.
“My office is committed to ensuring that civil servants maintain the highest standards of integrity, integrity and transparency,” La County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said. “If any concerns arise about the use of public funds or the actions of people in their office, it is our duty to thoroughly investigate and protect public trust.”
Police will visit Huntington Park City Hall Wednesday amid corruption investigations.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A copy of the warrant reviewed by the Times suggests that investigators are considering allegations of bribery, misappropriation of public funds, conflicts of interest, money laundering and conspiracy. The warrant also suggests that the investigation is centered around Efren Martinez, the city’s longtime consultant and controversial figure.
It’s not the first time that Huntington Park officials have been found to be caught up in a controversy with Martinez.
In 2017, the District Attorney’s Office launched a survey focused on Macias, who helped Martinez raise money for his 2016 state legislative campaign as a political consultant.
At the time, Macias said he raised about $25,000 for Martinez and was paid nearly $6,800 for his efforts, according to campaign records and financial disclosures.
However, the money she raised came from businesses that tried to do business with the city, according to prosecutors.
It was later discovered that the city council appointed Martinez to the planning committee. The position included a salary of $75 per month.
Macias denied any misconduct and prosecutors did not pursue charges against her.
The city made headlines again in 2021. Current and former employees accused city leaders of retaliation for the suspicious contracts they awarded.
At least one employee, a budget analyst, was arrested on suspicion of breach of confidential records. In a claim that portends the lawsuit, the employee said they downloaded financial records amid rumors of the FBI investigation and made sure they did not involve any possible fraud.
At least five other finance department employees were taken on leave following the arrest.
In a lawsuit filed the previous year, four current or former city employees allegedly were victims of retaliation for their attempts to maintain internal financial management, opposed to inappropriate discounts on urban fees.
Among them was Catalina Peraza, a financial assistant who was fired in 2020 after refusing to allow $800 worth of discount when opening a water account for the then-assembled candidate Martinez’s campaign headquarters, according to the lawsuit.
Another former employee alleged that she was responsibly fired after reporting that a cannabis clinic related to Martinez operates without a license.
City officials denied the allegations.
Martinez, who ran for Assembly again last year and lost, could not be immediately contacted for comment.
As part of the investigation released Wednesday, law enforcement officials served as search warrants at Martinez’s home and at his consulting company, Unified Consulting Services office.
The search warrant was also provided at the homes and offices of Edvin Tsaturyan and Sona Vardikyan, owners of JT Construction Group Inc., a contractor chosen to build the aquatic centre in Huntington Park. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
An employee at Huntington Park City could not be identified because they were not allowed to talk about the investigation, but said that around $9 million has been paid to the construction company and the city is trying to determine the cost of the money. So far, the source said the city has accounted for just $3 million.
“We want to praise our dedicated prosecutors and investigators for their hardworking work in this complex case. Their unwavering commitment to justice ensures that no one is beyond the law, regardless of their position or title,” Hochman said in a statement.
James, a staff writer for the Times, contributed to this report.
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