A major corruption scheme involving a former San Gabriel Valley lawmaker was uncovered after the FBI found a stunning $62,900 cash stash buried in his backyard.
Baldwin Park councilman Ricardo Pacheco, 63, was sentenced to 18 months behind bars this week for his role in the scheme, the Department of Justice announced.
Pacheco was also fined $10,000 and ordered to forfeit nearly $220,000.
The case centered on Pacheco and former Compton councilman Jacob Galvan, 39, who was also sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $323,557 in restitution.
The DOJ said the pair engaged in “corrupt acts while they were elected officials, including the payment and acceptance of tens of thousands of dollars in bribes for a police union’s support and to obtain official city permits for marijuana cultivation.”
Pacheco served on the Baldwin Park council from 1997 to 2020 and briefly served as mayor pro tem in 2018. He pleaded guilty to corruption in June 2020.
He admitted accepting thousands of dollars in bribes — including a $20,000 cash payment from a Baldwin Park police officer secretly working with the FBI
Between January and October 2018, Pacheco solicited and received $37,900 from the undercover officer.
“The police officer who made the payments did so at the direction of the FBI after another officer and he approached the FBI and agreed to assist in its ongoing corruption investigation,” the DOJ said
“In exchange for the payments, Pacheco voted in favor of the Police Association contract in March 2018.” The contract was worth at least $4.4 million over three years.
Pacheco later became a federal informant, helping investigators take down a half-dozen figures tied to the marijuana industry and local government, the LA Times reported.
As part of his plea deal, Pacheco resigned from the council and forfeited $83,145 seized by the FBI — including the $62,900 buried in two spots in his backyard.
Galvan, who served on the Compton council from 2013 to 2022, admitted paying Pacheco $70,000 in bribes in exchange for his “votes and support for commercial marijuana permits,” according to the DOJ.
Galvan also admitted failing to report more than $500,000 in income to the IRS.
The corruption began taking shape in 2017, when Baldwin Park started seeking approval for marijuana cultivation, manufacturing and distribution within city limits, prosecutors said.
Pacheco began soliciting bribes from businesses seeking marijuana development agreements and permits, while Galvan acted as a “consultant” who connected marijuana operators with the councilman.
“In exchange for the illicit payments, Pacheco agreed to use his position in city government to assist the companies with obtaining marijuana permits, including voting in their favor.”
Pacheco’s restitution hearing is scheduled for the coming weeks.
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