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Former Upland mayor indicted on federal corruption charges
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Former Upland mayor indicted on federal corruption charges
Former Upland mayor indicted on federal corruption charges
The former mayor of the city of Upland faces federal corruption charges. He resigned last week in the wake of a bribery and money laundering scandal.
Federal authorities say John Pomierski forced two Upland businesses to pay him $45,000 in exchange for business permits and other services. A member of Upland’s Building Appeals Board and two associates arranged the alleged bribes.
The proxies made the demands and collected the cash on Pomierski's behalf. The bribes were cloaked as consulting agreements so they wouldn't arouse suspicion.
But the owner of one of those businesses got suspicious anyway. The company alerted authorities of the scheme and assisted with the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles says Pomierski fostered a 'pay to play' environment to enrich himself, and denied honest services to taxpayers.
Pomierski faces 145 years in federal prison if convicted on all charges. The building appeals official John Hennes faces a maximum possible sentence of 50 years in federal prison.
John Pomierski’s mayoral term was set to end next year. Upland appointed a new mayor earlier this week.
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