Bell officials arrested as prosecutors are set to file criminal charges [Updated]

At least eight city of Bell officials were arrested Tuesday morning, a source said, as L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley prepared to announce criminal charges in the municipal salary scandal.

[Updated at 10 a.m.: Former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo, whose high salary sparked the outrage that led to the investigations of the city, was among those arrested in the sweep. No details have been released, but a source not authorized to speak publicly about the case said that Rizzo; former Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia; Mayor Oscar Hernandez; Councilmembers Luis Artiga, Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal; and former Councilmembers George Cole and Victor Bello were among those arrested.

[Updated at 11:22 p.m.: Cooley filed charges against eight Bell officials Tuesday, alleging that they misappropriated $5.5 million in public funds. Rizzo has been charged with 53 counts of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest.

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

"This is corruption on steroids," Cooley said.]

The charges are expected to be detailed at a morning press conference, according to a source with knowledge of the case who was not authorized to comment publicly. A witness told The Times he saw Councilman Luis Artiga taken away in handcuffs Tuesday morning.

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."]

For two months, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office and state and federal authorities have investigated Bell, where high salaries earned by former City Manager Robert 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.

Cooley has said his office was examining whether the various financial transactions in Bell amounted to thefts of public funds. The office is also looking into allegations of voter fraud and whether the high salaries earned by Rizzo and others were legal.

Last week, California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown filed a lawsuit against current and former Bell city leaders demanding that their pay contracts be nullified and that they pay back some of their salaries and pension benefits. Artiga was not one of those named in the lawsuit, and he said he was working with investigators.

Rizzo and other top city officials stepped down in July after the salary scandal broke. City Council members — who were earning nearly $100,000 a year — significantly slashed their pay.

The full audit by state Controller John Chiang's office has previously found that Bell illegally overtaxed residents and businesses by $5.6 million. In addition to the retirement funds, Rizzo received two city loans of $80,000, officials said.

After The Times disclosed the loans, city officials said they were suspending the loan program and were trying to determine how many of the loans were repaid.

-- Jack Leonard, Ruben Vives and Richard Winton

Photo: Photo of police outside Bell councilmember Geroge Mirabal's home Tuesday morning. The photo was supplied by a Bell resident who wished to remain anonymous. Below: Rizzo under arrest. Daily Pilot.

Comments

[Echo]

We can only hope all city, county, and state officials are put under the same microscope. In a state the size of California, Bell cannot be the only place this is happenning.

[Torin]

Why is the party affiliation of the city officials omitted? I think it's important to note that the corrupt officials also all are DEMOCRATS.

What a Culture of Corruption!

[Danny D]

what did they actually do wrong, other than receiving high salaries? Did they conspire to cheap the taxpayer thru fraud? I hope HUGE salaries aren't a crime!

I guess i need to look into this story a little more, but, hey, they accepted "the going rate."

[Dead Kracker Babies]

The affiliation of the accused is quite simple. If they are Republican, then it would be plastered all over the place, even on the headlines. If they are Democrats, there will be no trace or mention of their affiliation.
The MSM can not fool us any longer. This is like reading Pravda, what is not written is more important than what is written.

[Jim Chan]

So ... will the regularly scheduled council meeting still be held - in the jail cell? Will they have a quorum?

Must they be warned about violating the ‘Open Meeting’ laws? Should they post an agenda for the sake of conversation?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive.

[Eddie]

Thanks democrats. When will californians figure out that what these crooks did in Bell is what Obama is doing to the USA?

[Bessie Boyd]

The rule of thumb for mentioning the political party is simple. If the person is Republican, then mention that within the first sentence and repeat numerous times. For a Demorcat, that info is always irrelevent to any scandal story.

[Mike]

Next will be the balot box stuffing charges for rigging the electon to make Bell a charter city.

[Skat]

Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down! Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall . . .

[Dave]

Let me get this straight: Jerry Brown is a hero because he read about it in the newspaper? Isn't that the same Jerry Brown who may have a special double dipping retirement from the state of California? The rules of CA state pensions insure that Brown base his pension plan payments on his HIGHEST 12 month salary as a public official. Why is this same "benefit" not offered to us lowly taxpayers...
The story of Bell is nothing new: pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. There are still a lot of pigs feeding at the public trough. If Brown wanted to find the huge leaks, he should investigate the State Pension system. Speaking of payrolls and pensions...and isn't it time for all public employees to start punching a time clock? Or, is "trust but verify" being a bit too unreasonable?

[James Foy]

How about using RICO statutes on government officials and seizing more of their ill-gotten gains. This is a conspiracy over time, so anything they have acquired in that time (plus any gains in investments) should be subject to seizure.
BTW I am not generally a fan of RICO.

[James Foy]

This is one time where I would be for use of RICO statutory seizures. There was obviously a conspiracy to defraud citizens. The money, any financial gains since taking the excessive pay, and items bought during their tenure should be confiscated and auctioned off.

[John]

I say its racial profiling. Is it any coincidence they are all of latino heritage? lol

Play the race card! It works every time! This is just another case of the mean gringos beating up on the hispanics who, as we all know, really own the entire southwest portion of the US.

It is every hispanic persons right to be here illegally and swindle tax money. Anything else is just racism!

[Doc Savage]

They must have been schooled in a combination of Chicago and Mexico City politics. But frankly, after watching the Obama administration, I think Chicago is the more corrupt influence.

[The Cleaner]

Think about how many small towns across the country
are run by crooks like this. Billions upon billions of dollars
are lost to these scums.

It's time to wake up and force all of them out.

Pay attention to what's going on in your city and vote
the dirt out of office!!!!

[Progressive Ed]

Racism pure and simple! No doubt they were targeted because none of them were USA citizens. If this isn't racial profiling, what is?

[Aaron]

I still think their party affiliation needs to be disclosed. Certainly if they were Republicans, that would be reported and used to bludgeon the state party. Why it doesn't get more press, I'll never know...

[Truth Traveler]

I wonder why D.A. Cooley forgot the Bell Police Chief Randy Adams in his roundup..ummmm. State Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown alleged in a lawsuit Wednesday that former Bell Police Chief Randy Adams was hired even though city administrators knew he had a preexisting injury and was given lifetime medical coverage and the city’s blessing that it would support a medical-disability claim when he retired. Adams was hired in 2009 and, without approval of the City Council, offered a base salary of more than $457,000 by former City Administrator Robert Rizzo, the suit says. Adams’ compensation was one of the top law enforcement salaries in the country.The suit contends that Rizzo, Adams and former Assistant City Administrator Angela Spaccia conspired to conceal their lavish salaries and that their paychecks and benefits “grossly exceeded” what was reasonable. The good'O boys protecting each others back...I 'd rather thank State Atty. Gen. Jerry brown who higher up the ladder on enforcement than the weak and incompetent L.A.D.A.

[Michael Strigas]

Hey Times could investigate how a junior Senator from Illinois was able to receive many $1000's in contributions from a failing Freddie-Mac and Fannie-May so much so that he was 2nd only to Chris Dodd in getting contributions! I mean Dodd had been in the Senate for what 25 years so one would expect bloated contributions to him but a junior Senator?!? Oh yeah his name was/is Barrack Hussien Obama... opps... guess you won't be investigating now huh?

[Delphinus13]

GREAT NEWS!!!! These criminals deserve to have their dishonor made public and serve time. Serves them right for thinking they have the right to take the peoples' money and misappropriate it like this, particularly by putting it in their own pockets. They should be stripped of their retirements too. The people of that city and the state of California owe these criminals NOTHING.

[Delphinus13]

Danny D,

These officials all worked on the city council of the town, were the city manager, and the police chief. The average annual wages of the citizens of this town were around $30K. The city council voted THEMSELVES $100K annual salaries for essentially part-time work. The city manager earned $800K+ and had 20 weeks of paid vacation each year. The police chief was earning ~$450K annually, more than twice as much as the LAPD police chief who leads a police department about 100 times as large. These were nothing but corrupt criminals abusing their positions of authority to rip off the taxpayers of that town.

[marvin]

They are Dems. No surprise here. Always the same attitude, "Do as I say, not as I do."

[tom]

Where is this money come from?

[Dave]

The Police Chief was making $457.000.00 a year, he didn't get arrested? Where do I apply for that job at? I know the "The Thin Blue Line", I understand ALL his evidence will have been lost or destroyed by Aliens (the outer space kind). Jerry Brown is a Joke, yes with a capital J.

[Puttytat]

Bell has a population of 30,000 to 40,000 and mostly blue-collar taxpayers. How did these slimeballs get that much money from a small population and average to low income residents?