Former Mayor Gets 16 Years in Scam
Former Lynwood Mayor Paul H. Richards II was ordered Monday to serve nearly 16 years behind bars, a sentence that federal prosecutors described as one of the longest in any U.S. public corruption case.
Richards, a 50-year-old former attorney, was convicted in November of steering city contracts to a front corporation he secretly owned. The scheme could have netted Richards more than $6 million, although he managed to siphon off only $500,000 before authorities interrupted, they said.
The case was the latest in a series of state and federal investigations targeting public corruption in cities in southeast Los Angeles County, including South Gate, Compton and Carson. The investigations have resulted in 17 convictions.
Richards was ousted from the Lynwood City Council in a 2003 recall election after 17 years in office amid allegations of corruption and cronyism.
Richards' attorney, Ed Robinson, urged the judge Monday to reduce the sentence, calling it "borderline cruel and unusual punishment." Richards was convicted on 35 counts of extortion, fraud, money laundering and making false statements to investigators. Federal sentencing guidelines called for his penalty to be calculated based on his potential, rather, than actual financial gain.
Violent criminals spend less time in prison for their crimes, Robinson argued.
But prosecutors said tough punishment sends a strong message to elected officeholders.
"It is a day for reflection for public officials in Los Angeles, in Sacramento, and in Washington, D.C., that the people have zero tolerance for public corruption," Assistant U.S. Atty. Daniel Shallman said after the hearing.
Robinson said he plans to appeal.
Richards was also ordered to pay the city of Lynwood more than $787,000 in restitution.
His sister, Paula Cameo Harris, 57, of Altadena, was sentenced to six years in prison. She served as president of Allied Government Services, the front company that Richards set up to do business with the city.
Longtime friend Bevan A. Thomas, 57, of Anaheim was ordered to serve nearly 10 years in prison. He was convicted of bribing Richards in return for city contracts.
U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner noted during the sentencing hearing that all three defendants, who mounted a vigorous defense at trial, "do not seem to accept responsibility for the conduct that has occurred in this case."
