Rizzo faces 53 counts; Bell was 'corruption on steroids,' D.A. Cooley says [Updated]

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley filed charges against eight current and former Bell officials Tuesday, alleging that they misappropriated $5.5 million in public funds. Robert Rizzo, Bell's former city manager, has been charged with 53 counts of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest.

The charges come after a dramatic morning in which authorities swept through Bell and other cities, arresting former and current Bell officials.

Among those arrested were Rizzo; Angela Spaccia, former assistant city manager; Mayor Oscar Hernandez; councilmembers George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo and Luis Artiga; and former councilmembers George Cole and Victor Bello.

"This is corruption on steroids," Cooley said. 

[Updated at 11:28 a.m.: Cooley said officials used the city's tax dollars "as their own piggy bank that they then looted at will."

He said that councilmembers, who earned salaries of nearly $100,000, received $1.2 million for "phantom meetings" -- many which never occurred or lasted only a minute or two.  

Police Chief Randy Adams, who also stepped down after The Times reported he was earning $457,000, was not arrested.

"Being paid excessive amounts is not a crime," Cooley said, noting that the investigation is ongoing.

Bail for Rizzo has been set at $3.2 million. Bail for the others ranges from $130,000 to $377,500.]

Rizzo, whose high salary sparked the outrage that led to the investigations of the city, was among those arrested in the sweep. At 10 a.m., officials emerged from Rizzo's luxury home in Huntington Beach. Rizzo, handcuffed, was escorted into a black SUV. 

In Bell, a neighbor of Hernandez said authorities used a battering ram on his front door after he failed to answer the door.

"They broke the door down," said the neighbor, who only gave his name as Jose. "They knocked down the door and they brought him out in cuffs."

The city of Bell released a statement about the arrests, calling it a "sad day" for the city.

“Given the sheer volume of charges levied against former Bell Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo and former Assistant CAO Angela Spaccia by the district attorney, it is clear that Rizzo and Spaccia were at the root of the cancer that has afflicted the City of Bell. Also, it is a sad day for Bell that four current and two former members of the council also have been arrested. I am prepared to double down our efforts to continue to restore order, establish good government reforms, and to ensure that Bell is providing needed services to its residents,” said Pedro Carrillo, interim city manager.

Outside City Hall, about two dozen residents gathered as news of the arrests spread. One man used a bullhorn to broadcast the Queen song, "Another One Bites the Dust." Members of the crowd laughed and applauded, happy to see arrests in the scandal.

For two months, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office and state and federal authorities have investigated Bell, where high salaries earned by Rizzo and other top officials have sparked widespread outrage. The Times reported last month that Rizzo was set to earn more than $1.5 million in 2010. Additionally, he gave loans totaling $1.6 million to more than 50 city officials, including himself.

-- Jack Leonard, Jeff Gottlieb, Ruben Vives and Richard Winton

Credit: Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley announces the arrests of eight current and former Bell city officials. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

Photos: Arrests in Bell

Comments

[jack]

Thank you Jerry Brown!

Anybody know if these criminals are listed at the REPUBLICAN OFFENDERS website?

[Steve]

lesson to the kids out there. if you want to be a thief and get away with it, get your ivy league mba and then climb the corporate ladder. that's the american way.

[Hal Summers]

I hope this puts an end to the idea of running the government like a business. We've seen that just doesn't work, does it?

[Jrwkilleen]

Maybe that fat little pig, Rizzo, can lose weight from eating prison food instead of the expensive gourmet fare he's been used to.

[howard]

If these guys just get a slap on the wrist that means nothing. They need both prison and fines.

[Adam]

Yes! These people need to go to prison. They are the very definition of dirty politicians and I look forward to reading Ruzzo's obituary. You know the one where he is killed in prison...

[Siamese cats]

Not a "SAD" day. This is a great day. I hope other politicians are reading. It may not be a federal crime to have a high salary, but it is a moral crime. Don't do anything you would be ashamed of if we found out. Well, we found out. perhaps no law was broken, and so no jail time, but the people can still fire the police chief for having a lack of morals.

[Tom Pham]

Great job!! put those crooks in jail for a very loong time.
Keep it up TimeLA.
A lot more of cities need to investigate: Westminster, Santa Ana, Garden grove, ...
Let's clean our cities by putting those rats away..
-Tp

[JJ]

South-of-the-border style corruption creeping into the U.S. Fortunately though, here there is a chance that one may be arrested for it.

[Tim]

It is unfortunate how some individuals given the opportunity will take advantage of a situation knowing very well what they’re doing is wrong allowing their greed to supersede right from wrong. Did they actually think they would get away with it or was their greed so great that it blinded their conscious? Yes, what about the x-chief of police did he honestly think there was nothing out of the ordinary while drawing that obscene salary? Or did his greed allow him to rationalize “I deserve this for the job I’m doing”, although I am making twice as much as my counterpart in the LAPD who manages a workforce ten times larger and is responsible for policing an area ten times the size of the City of Bell? It appears that integrity or the lack of was the order of the day.

[JustSaying]

"Being paid excessive amounts is not a crime," Cooley said.

How ironic the statement? Isn't it why the others are being investigated - being over paid!!!

[joe]

We want Chief Adams arrested!!!! Out of all people, he KNEW best about laws being broken. He needs to be measured to a HIGHER standard since he's a cop!!

[Anna]

The LA Times is hiding that these gangsters are democrats..

[Expose]

The Chief of Police Adams should have been arrested. Adams probably made a campaign contribution to Cooley.

[Arctic Fox]

Doubtless there are more perps out there...
But you take what you can get.

Now the sun rises upon California!

[GIRL]

Finally JUSTICE!!! All the others watch out your next.

[Expose]

Interesting how all of them smiled for the camera except Rizzo.

[Gene Venable]

Why did it take digging to reveal they are Democrats? Wasn't it listed on the ballot? Who were their Republican opponents?

The answer, I think, is that the campaigns for these offices weren't based on politics. Their parties weren't listed on the ballots. They were Democrats because they were in a poor area. Poor people tend to be Democrats because they usually aren't interested in giving tax breaks to the rich, as Republicans are.

[BoB]

This is wonderful, the best thing that can happen to cooks. I hope they like free room and board via Jail. This is a moment, that should of came sooner, rather then now. Mr Rizzo is going to loose some weight in prison. This is why i love the L.A times and why i the buy the paper.

[Amazed]

GREAT JOB................ this is s great sart ro prove, that we should not put up with the corruption.

[Cara D]

RE: South-of-the-border style corruption creeping into the U.S. Fortunately though, here there is a chance that one may be arrested for it.

Posted by: JJ

---------

Think again JJ. This is totally an American way of doing things. How do you think the white man took this land in the first place.

[frank]

"For two months, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office and state and federal authorities have investigated Bell..."

The DA began its investigation back in the spring. How is that 2 months?

[Tony]

Cool thing. I know it will come oneday. Finally.. God bless city of Bell, may be next City of Vernon.

[jack]

Cheif Adams is an EMPLOYEE of the City. He, not does any Police Cheif set his salary. He us simply and Employee of the City with no power to set his salary. D>A> Cooley ahs govne after cops before. There is no need to arrest him at this point because he did not break the law that we know of. Let the investigation move forward and see what happens.

[jack]

Cheif Adams is an EMPLOYEE of the City. He, not does any Police Cheif set his salary. He us simply and Employee of the City with no power to set his salary. D>A> Cooley ahs govne after cops before. There is no need to arrest him at this point because he did not break the law that we know of. Let the investigation move forward and see what happens.