Ex-Glendale Mayor Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $304K From Montrose Farmers' Market

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The former mayor of Glendale pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing more than $300,000 from Montrose's farmers' market over eight years and failing to pay taxes.

KNX 1070's Claudia Peschiutta reports os Angeles County District Attorney's officials say John Drayman, 55, pleaded guilty to a felony count each of embezzlement, filing a false tax return and perjury.

Prosecutors say Drayman admitted to embezzling money he collected from the weekly farmers' market while he served as director of Montrose Shopping Park Association, which ran the market. The embezzlement happened between Jan. 1, 2004, and April 30, 2011.

The Glendale Police Department and Franchise Tax Board launched an investigation into Drayman in May 2011 after the association discovered the embezzlement.

Drayman faces a year in jail and will be ordered to repay $304,853 to the Montrose Shopping Park Association, District Attorney's officials said.

"Our merchants in Montrose hopefully are going to get the money back, and then it could be spent the right way," said Montrose Shopping Park Association president Andre Ordubegian.

Drayman will also be ordered to pay $14,016 to the Franchise Tax Board and be placed on five years of formal probation when he is sentenced on April 7.