Former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar surrendered to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on Monday, starting his 13-year prison sentence for bribery and tax evasion involving downtown developers. Huizar is currently detained at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Lompoc II in Santa Barbara County, a low-security male prison.
Huizar was originally required to surrender by August 30 but was granted a five-week extension for reasons related to undisclosed medical issues, which was not objected by the government, according to documents filed with the federal court.
The 56-year-old Huizar admitted to violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and tax evasion in January 2023. In addition to the prison sentence, he must pay nearly $444,000 in restitution to the city of Los Angeles and nearly $39,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. Court documents show that he has already paid the latter amount in full.
Huizar’s lawyer declined to comment on the matter.
Huizar’s co-defendant and former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison last Friday. Chan, a middleman in the $1.5 million bribery scheme between Huizar and downtown developers, was convicted by a jury in March of 12 felony counts, including conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, wire fraud, bribery, and making false statements to federal agencies.
Judge John Walter ordered Chan to pay $752,457 in restitution to the city and to surrender to begin serving his sentence by January 6 next year. Chan, 68, from Monterey Park, worked for over thirty years in the city government, mostly in the building and safety department, serving as a general manager.
Huizar represented Los Angeles City’s 14th District from 2005 to 2020, which includes downtown Los Angeles and surrounding communities.
Federal prosecutors stated that Huizar used his position for personal gain, receiving over $1.5 million in cash bribes, gambling chips, luxurious trips, political donations, sexual services, lavish dining, concert tickets, and other gifts through his political influence.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “If a developer dared to refuse his demand for bribes, he would retaliate against them and their projects in Los Angeles by threatening indefinite financial risks and delays.” Chan facilitated developers bribing Huizar for profit.
Chinese developer Huang Wei was implicated in the case but is currently considered a fugitive believed to be in China.
Having worked in the city government for over thirty years, Chan held various positions, mostly in the building and safety department and as a general manager.
Other involved individuals have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation.