The federals want an 8 -month prison sentence by former mayor of Anaheim convicted of corruption

In what is scheduled to be the first sentence transmitted in an FBI of years Political corruption research In Orange County, federal prosecutors are pressing so that the former mayor of Anaheim, Harry Sidhu, passes eight months in prison for his crimes.

On March 14, prosecutors argued in judicial documents that Sidhu’s criminal conduct during the negotiations to sell the Angel stadium and the lucrative lands around him to a company controlled by the owner of Los Angels, Moreno Art, ascended to a “betrayal of the city of Anaheim.”

The FBI investigation emerged publicly for the first time in May 2022 and stopped the Angel Stadium of $ 320 million In court Before the former colleagues from the City Council of Anaheim de Sidhu He finished it.

According to judicial documents, Sidhu lied to the FBI agents when he approached him that same month for an improvised interview that was sub -ptically.

Sidhu falsely said that he did not provide a Los Angelinos consultant for confidential evaluation information, did not use his personal email for the city’s businesses and expected “nothing” in exchange for the stadium agreement.

During the course of the investigation, the former president of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director Todd Ament secretly registered Sidhu in a conversation saying that he expected a campaign contribution of $ 1 million of the Angels after ensuring the stadium agreement.

Sidhu declared himself guilty to four serious crimes Related to lies to FBI agents and destroys an email sent to the team consultant with confidential evaluation information related to the stadium.

“Yes, I’m guilty,” said Sidhu in court on September 15, 2023. “I lied to the FBI.”

Sidhu must return to the Federal Palace of Ronald Reagan in Santa Ana on March 28 for the sentence.

Given the lack of SIDHU with a criminal record before their conviction for corruption positions, the United States probation office recommended three years of probation, a fine of $ 175,000 and 400 hours of community service.

Federal prosecutors agreed primarily on the United States probation office, but did not find an appropriate “proper” probation judgment in the case of Sidhu.

Prosecutors pointed out that Sidhu’s criminal conduct was not derived from despair or addiction, but “to promote their own political ambition and save a relatively trivial amount of money.”

The FBI investigation arrested the Angel Stadium agreement in the Court. Anaheim’s City Council finished it later.

(Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

They accredited Sidhu by resigning from the officedeclaring guilty and reimbursing taxes that illegally evaded from a scheme where he registered a helicopter outside the State.

But prosecutors emphasized that transmitting a prison sentence is important to send a message to rich and powerful people like Sidhu, while probation achieves otherwise.

“It suggests that the defendants who participate in crimes of public corruption of white collar like this can simply withdraw from public life, pay a fine and face minimal consequences, with imprisonment reserved only for the bluecollar and less privileged defendants,” reads the archive.

In a separate judicial presentation, Paul Meyer and Craig Wilke, the lawyers of Sidhu, promoted the history of immigrants of the former mayor, minimized their destruction of emails and advocated a probation judgment with a fine less than $ 40,000.

After becoming a mayor of Anaheim in 2018, Sidhu was promoted as an incarnation of the United States promise, after having emigrated from India with only $ 6 in his pocket.

It is a narrative that their lawyers embraced with the hopes of clemency.

“Through education and hard work, Mr. Sidhu became an engineer and a successful businessman who is now retired,” said the presentation. “He has no criminal record and has dedicated the last 20 years of his life to the public service by serving in the boards of several community organizations, the Council of the City of Anaheim for eight years, the Orange County Transportation Authority for four years and as Anaheim analyzes for almost four years.”

Federal prosecutors described the personal history of Sidhu “aggravating, instead of mitigating.”

Sidhu’s lawyers also denied their client involved in bribes and never asked the Angels a political contribution for quid to their re -election campaign.

When arguing for a minor fine and less hours of community service, their lawyers claimed that Sidhu destroyed “relevant” but not “essential” electronic emails related to the investigation since the cooperation of AMENT with the FBI agents provided them with their own copies of the electronic emails of the mayor.

“Sidhu certainly sought to prevent and obstruct federal investigation, but did not seek to cover up criminal conduct and never committed an act of political corruption,” said the presentation.

Ament’s lawyers refused to comment on the claim.

During a secretary registered with Sidhu, Ament declared that he received a citation for an investigation of the Gran Jury of Orange County on the stadium agreement. Sidhu said he eliminated the emails for fear that the investigation of the Grand Jury would be used against him during his re -election campaign of 2022.

Before the sentence, Sidhu also filed a personal statement before Judge John Holcomb.

“I am deeply ashamed of my behavior and I understand that there are consequences for my crimes,” Sidhu wrote. “I have learned difficult lessons from this experience, which include dishonoring my family and destroying my career and reputation.”

The letter marked Sidhu’s longest comments on the scandal since the investigation arose publicly.

The extensive FBI probe, so far, has led to two other convictions, including ament and former leader of the Democratic Party Melahat Rafiei. Both have not yet been sentenced.