Three defendants in court May 26

Three defendants in the Beaumont corruption case are scheduled to enter pleas to the charges on Thursday, May 26.

Former City Manager Alan Charles Kapanicas, former Finance Director William Kevin Aylward and former City Attorney Joseph Sandy Aklufi are expected to be arraigned at 2 p.m. in Riverside County Superior Court. All three have hired defense attorneys, according to court records.

Kapanicas and Aylward were both charged with six counts of embezzlement, 24 counts of misappropriation of funds and two counts of conspiracy. Aklufi is facing six counts of embezzlement.

Aklufi was the only defendant still in jail Monday, at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. His bail is set at $1 million.

The other four defendants aren’t scheduled to enter pleas for almost two months – Former Economic Development Director David Dillon on July 12, former Public Works Director Deepak Moorjani on July 13, former Police Chief Francis Dennis “Frank” Coe Jr. on July 19 and former Planning Director Ernest Alois Egger on July 20, according to court records.

Dillon, Moorjani and Egger were each charged with six counts of embezzlement and one count of conflict of interest. Coe was charged with two counts of misappropriation of funds and one count of conspiracy.

Contact the writer: br****@pe.com or 951-368-9569