Santa Clarita Man Gets 4 Years for Bilking Widow

Brown, 45, Castaic's 1994 Man of the Year and a popular public figure in the Santa Clarita Valley, could have been given up to six years in prison after being convicted of elder abuse in March for taking the money from Olive Ruby between May 1992 and April 1996.

He said she had given him the money freely, as a gift so he could devote himself to community work. She said the same thing before she died in December. The prosecution contended Brown had illegally manipulated a woman who was mentally impaired after a stroke and incapable of making financial decisions.

Some supporters contend Brown was judged unfairly by a mostly white jury because he is black and gay. Brown broke down at one point in Friday's hearing as a friend spoke of his good deeds in the community, but he showed no emotion moments later when Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen announced his sentence in Division E of the San Fernando courthouse.

Many of Brown's supporters, however, who clung to hopes their friend would be given probation, left the packed courtroom in tears.

Because of several outbursts by spectators during the trial, at least five sheriff's deputies stood guard in the courtroom during Friday's hearing. There were no major disruptions but one woman was ejected by deputies after a verbal outburst.

"What has happened to Mr. Brown is a travesty," said Allan Cameron, founder of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment, who has worked with Brown on various civic projects.

"I knew Olive and everyone knew that she was giving money to Edwin. There was no subterfuge, there was no crime. She wanted him to be liberated to do what he does better than everyone else, work for the benefit of the community," Cameron said.

Prosecutors, however, said Brown took the money from Ruby under the guise of using it for charitable causes, such as Val Verde's Samuel Dixon Family Health Care Center, where he served as director.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Ardith Javan said while Brown had once led efforts to save the low-cost health center from financial ruin, he also used Ruby's money not to help others but instead to finance a lavish lifestyle that included a trip to Europe, expensive furniture and a Picasso painting.