Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

KPCC Archive

Former Lynwood City Councilman Arturo Reyes faces sentencing for corruption

Visa credit cards are arranged on a desk February 25, 2008 in San Francisco, California. Visa Inc. is hoping that its initial public offering could raise up to $19 billion and becoming  the largest IPO in U.S. history.
File photo of credit cards. Former Lynwood City Councilman Arturo Reyes accused two other former-Lynwood city councilmen of misusing city funds, saying they used a city credit card to pay for strip club fees.
(
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
)

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

Listen 0:47
Former Lynwood City Councilman Arturo Reyes faces sentencing for corruption

A Los Angeles judge is expected to sentence a former Lynwood city councilman Monday on corruption charges.

Former Lynwood City Councilman Arturo Reyes pleaded guilty to grand theft for using city credit cards for personal use. He is among three councilmen who face corruption charges in Lynwood, which is located at the intersection of the 710 and 105 Freeways in southeast L.A. County.

The other two former councilmen are Louis Byrd and Fernando Pedroza. All resigned from the council after prosecutors with the L.A. County district attorney’s public integrity unit charged them with corruption.

Reyes testified against Byrd and Pedroza. He accused them of using a city credit card to pay for sex at a strip club during a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, according to the Los Angeles Times. He said they filed it under “entertaining delegates” on city records. Rounds of golf, concerts and dinner at the House of Blues were all charged to the city, according to prosecutors.

In addition to misuse of city funds, prosecutors are seeking to show that the former councilmen paid themselves thousands of dollars to sit on city commissions that did little work.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today