June 23, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Federal Prosecutor Recommends Former Senator Ron Calderon Be Sentenced

A federal prosecutor is recommending that former state Sen. Ron Calderon be sentenced Friday to five years behind bars as part of a corruption case that also involved the ex-lawmaker’s brother.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack E. Jenkins has asked the judge to deny leniency to Calderon, who in June entered into a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.

Calderon’s “trafficking in his legislative votes” for over $150,000 in cash and other benefits “caused a reverberation of negative effects throughout California and put a stain not just on his career, but on the reputation of the state legislature,” Jenkins wrote in a pre-sentencing brief.

Jenkins noted that Calderon, a Montebello Democrat, “admitted to participating in two substantial and complex bribery schemes that entailed multiple forms of bribes, concealment and sophisticated money laundering. Here, defendant sold his vote not just to help pay for the expenses of living beyond his means, but for the more banal and predictable aims of corruption — fancy luxuries, fancy parties and fancy people.”

Calderon’s attorney has suggested that U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder sentence the 59-year-old former lawmaker to time already served or a period of home detention.

Jenkins proposed that Calderon be sentenced to five years in custody, one year of supervised release, a $7,500 fine and 250 hours of community service.

Calderon’s elder brother, Tom, was sentenced in September to a 10-month split sentence of federal prison and electronic monitoring for helping conceal bribe money that his brother received during an FBI sting.

The former Montebello-area assemblyman pleaded guilty to a money laundering count in which he admitted allowing $30,000 from an undercover agent to be funneled through his Calderon Group as payment for his younger brother to support lowering the threshold for California’s film tax credit from $1 million to $750,000.

The Calderon brothers were indicted in February 2014 on two dozen counts, including wire fraud, mail fraud, honest services fraud, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and aiding in the filing of false tax returns.

Jenkins wrote that the case was representative of a climate in Sacramento “where waves of dark money infect politics and flood the worlds of many politicians.”

Ron Calderon was accused of soliciting and accepting $100,000 in cash bribes, in addition to getting a raft of plane trips, gourmet meals and golf resort junkets in exchange for championing laws favorable to those who paid him and working against laws that could do them harm.

He was suspended from the state Senate in March 2014, and his term in office ended nine months later.

Tom Calderon represented his Montebello-area district in the California Assembly from 1998-2002.

In sentencing Tom Calderon, Snyder said a longer custodial sentence was warranted, but she took into account the 62-year-old defendant’s health problems, which resulted in recent triple bypass surgery.

 

Former Senator Ron Caleron

Related Posts

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...

Paris Hilton Buys Mark Wahlberg’s Beverly Park Mansion for $63.1M

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

The Heiress and Media Mogul Joins a Star-Studded Neighborhood Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum have purchased a high-profile estate...

A.O.C. Brentwood to Close After 16 Years on San Vicente Boulevard

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

Chef Goin and Styne Cite Unsustainably High Rent in Decision to Close  A.O.C. Brentwood, the acclaimed Westside outpost from James...

LA City Councilwomen Yaroslavsky and Jurado Call for Legal Action Against Federal Immigration Raids

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

City Motion Targets Alleged Unconstitutional Tactics, End Qualified Immunity for Fed Officers  City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Ysabel Jurado introduced...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

Princess Diana’s Largest Wardrobe Auction Set for Beverly Hills

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Over 200 Royal Garments to Hit the Auction Block for Charity More than 200 garments and royal artifacts, including the...

Queer Beauty Through the Ages: Getty Hosts Lecture on Greek Art’s Influence on LGBTQ Aesthetics

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Art Historian to Trace Homoerotic Imagery From Ancient Greece to Modern Queer Identity As part of its ongoing Pride Month...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Navy Vietnam Vet Finally Gets His UCLA Commencement Moment

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

John Fong, 80, Missed His Graduation in 1968 While in Vietnam  Nearly six decades after completing his studies, U.S. Navy...

Culver City Launches Solidarity Campaign Alongside Hate Crimes Report Presentation

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Join City Leaders on June 24 for a Community Presentation on Rising Hate Incidents Local officials and residents are invited...

Films, Flair, and Panoramas: Free Cultural Events Light Up The Ebell This Week

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The Ebell Theatre Hosts a Double Feature of Films, Plus a Coffee Talk A pair of free public events this...

Culver City Police Nab Two Suspects in Canterbury Drive Burglary Case

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Community Tip and Set Investigation Lead to Arrest of Repeat Offenders Culver City police have arrested two suspects in connection...

9th Circuit Court Backs Trump in Battle Over California National Guard Control

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Federal Judges Allow Trump to Retain Command of Troops in Los Angeles Federal judges on Thursday cleared the way for...