Sacramento County to Pay $107 million for Corruption Decades Old

Over a decade ago a Corrupt Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson took bribes and payoffs from one mining company and used his government position to destroy the businesses of two other competitor mining companies.

The jury awarded a total of $107 Million including $1.8 Million in punitive damages to be paid by county officials including a $25,000 award against Roger Dickinson, who was the Chair of the Board of Supervisors at the time the Supervisors committed the illegal actions: https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article232071872.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_2872594002783092_2872970502745442_2872970502745442

The Judgement highlights two important points:

#1. Government Officials can and will be held criminally and civilly liable for illegal activity. California State Law only allows for honest mistakes, not intentional acts of crime or malice.

#2. The statute of limitations is 5 years after the crime or 3 years after discovery.

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin proclaimed ‘statue of limitations’ as his excuse for refusing to Indict the Beaumont City Councilmen or get convictions on the ‘Expendable Seven’, but Hestrin lied.

After the Raids in 2015 everyone had hope that the ‘new City Council’ would do the right thing and stop the pillaging of Beaumont Citizens. But to everyone but a select few’s amazement; the Beaumont City Council hired an even more corrupt staff, none of which were qualified for their job titles, and ‘Approved’ Contracts with Developers that were more illegal than the previous Contracts.

When former City Manager Alan Kapanicas was Indicted his Lawyer sent an Investigator to question Judy Bingham.

“How many times have you been arrested Mrs. Bingham?”

“How many times has the Riverside District Attorney Convicted you of a phony crime in an attempt to shut you up about Beaumont and Riverside County’s illegal activity?”

“How many complaints have you filed with the Riverside D.A.?”

“How many complaints have you filed with the Riverside Grand Jury?”

The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office was never able to convict Beaumont’s corrupt Staff and City Councilmen because the D.A.’s Office has openly been involved in the illegal activity of the City since 2005.

On November 1, 2018, the Riverside Grand Jury once again opened an ‘investigation’ the City of Beaumont’s unholy alliance with housing Developers. The Grand Jury Investigation was never disclosed by the D.A. or the City. The Grand Jury Investigation was never reported by the Record Gazette or the Press Enterprise.

A Public Records request for a copy of the documents sent to the Grand Jury by the City was never filled. And why not? Wasn’t a file created titled ‘Phony Grand Jury Investigation #17’ to track the documents sent to the Grand Jury?

Or was the November 1, 2018, Grand Jury Investigation so staged that the City never bothered to send any documents at all?

The ‘good news’ is that unlike other government agencies that can drag out a phony investigation for years; County Grand Juries end on June 30th of each year. At this time all Grand Jury Reports and all documentation collected is released to the Public.

And why should the latest Grand Jury Investigation find?

1. Beaumont City Council hired unqualified Staff without Public Bid Contracts as required by State Laws.
2. Beaumont Staff and City Council Forged Government Documents to claim $400 Million in Public Infrastructure that did not exist in an attempt to cover up the $400 Million Embezzled, the crime for which Hestrin originally Indicted the Expendable Seven.
3. Beaumont Staff and City Council have removed three Elementary Schools and a Jr. High from the General Plan in order to build more houses.
4. Beaumont Staff and City Council Forged it’s Audited Financial Statements in order to Defraud Banking Institutions.
5. Council and Staff promised Developers money from Mello Roos Bond Funds in violation of California Mello Roos Laws and Federal Bond Laws.
6. In the last year alone the Beaumont Staff and City Council transferred over $50 Million of Federal Municipal Bond Money to Developers without valid Invoices and Payroll Records in violation of State and Federal Laws.
7. Beaumont has built over 20,000 houses without following any County, State, or Federal Building Codes and Laws putting their Citizens at risk.
8. Beaumont City Councilman Mike Lara is also the Riverside County Building and Safety Director, so it’s very likely illegal construction is being carried out throughout Riverside County.
9. Beaumont City Council and Boards are aware that their actions are criminal to the point that they no longer ‘Approve’ their illegal activity – they ‘Receive and File’ on the theory that it makes the City Council and Boards less liable. The theory is false.

As rampant as government corruption is; it’s a fool’s game. In the 21st century; every meeting is recorded and every penny of Taxpayers’ money is electronically transmitted.

And as this Judgement proves; the theory that corrupt elected and appointed officials can run out the clock and get away with their illegal activity is incorrect. Corrupt Elected and Appointed Officials must be held accountable or the pillaging of Taxpayers’ money will never end. And it is the pillaging of taxpayers’ money that is destroying our Communities, State, and Nation.

There has been a steady drumbeat to discredit me by the people in Beaumont that are profiting from the City’s corruption, but it’s nothing more than a big red flag that the person is aiding and abetting the City’s illegal activity – for a few pennies in their pockets and the knowledge that they did what was evil instead of what was good.

But as I have always stated; corrupt Elected and Appointed Officials must go to prison or they will never stop pillaging Taxpayers’ money. State Agencies such as the California Bar Association and the Board of Engineers have contracted Hestrin regarding Beaumont’s illegal activity. How much longer can Hestrin cover up the City of Beaumont illegal activity that the County of Riverside has aided and abet for 15 years?

I don’t know, but we’ll find out. This ends with the Civil and Criminal prosecution of every Beaumont City Councilman, Staff Member, and Private Citizen that has promoted and/or profited from the City’s illegal activity.

Nobody can force Hestin to do his job, but Hestrin can be sued Civilly and Indicted Criminally for his participation in Beaumont and Riverside County’s illegal activity. One thing has been made clear; ‘someone’ has assured the Beaumont City Council that they get away with their illegal activity and if that ‘someone’ wasn’t Hestrin, then who could give the Council that assurance?

And when enough corrupt Elected and Appointed Officials are sent to prison the rest will stop pillaging the Taxpayers’ money and start doing their jobs.

How many imprisoned Elected and Appointed Officials will be ‘enough’? I don’t know, but we’ll find out.