Former State Senator Ron Calderon Of Montebello Pleads Guilty To Federal Mail Fraud
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Former State Senator Ron Calderon pleaded guilty Monday to a federal mail fraud charge.
The plea came just weeks before Calderon's trial on 24 counts was scheduled to start.
Calderon, 58, admitted he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes, in exchange for official acts as a legislator according to the plea agreement.
In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to ask for a sentence of no more than six years in federal prison. Judge Christina Snyder scheduled sentencing for September 19.
In the agreement, Calderon admitted to taking bribes from the owner of a long beach hospital and from FBI agents. The agents posed as filmmakers seeking changes to the state's Film Tax Credit Program.
Calderon's older brother Tom Calderon, a former state assemblyman, admitted to helping cover up bribes for his brother in a plea deal earlier this month. In exchange for his guilty plea on a felony money laundering count, Tom Calderon will receive a sentence not longer than 12 months. He'll be sentenced September 12.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
