Bell Corruption Suspect Loses Racing Horse

The ousted city manager of Bell, Calif. has lost his Hollywood Park horse owner's license after failing to show up for a hearing on conduct detrimental to horse racing.

Robert Rizzo, who is charged with 53 counts of looting the modest, working-class suburb where one in six people live in poverty, has been racing a small stable of thoroughbreds primarily at Emerald Downs in Washington and in Northern California.

He was arrested in September and released Oct. 7 on $2 million bail.

The Daily Racing Form reports on its website that the Hollywood Park board of stewards on Sunday suspended his owner's license. Rizzo failed to appear at a hearing on Saturday to respond to charges of conduct detrimental to horse racing.

Prosecutors last week filed two additional charges against Rizzo: one count each of misappropriation of funds and conflict of interest.

Rizzo was paid an annual salary and compensation package of $1.5 million to run a city of about 40,000 residents where one in six people live in poverty. Four City Council members who were paying themselves nearly $100,000 a year are also among those charged.

The scandal has provoked nationwide outrage and led to numerous investigations.

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