L.A. County prosecutors have filed corruption charges against the city manager of Bell, a former state senator and a San Diego developer in a sweeping probe of a failed solar project in the City of Industry
Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed corruption charges against the city manager of Bell, a former state senator and a San Diego developer in a sweeping probe of a failed solar project in the City of Industry involving the alleged theft of up to $20 million in public funds.
Amid growing concerns over the stalled project, the City of Industry terminated its lease with the developer in 2018, according to court papers.Though some of the allocated money was paid to other vendors, Barkett is accused of spending about $8.3 million on personal items, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. He also allegedly falsified or altered invoices to inflate the amount.
Philips appeared in court Friday and posted $25,000 bail. His attorney, Steve Cooley, said Philips “has done nothing wrong. He was a clean-up-the-city city manager. He got nothing. He was not in charge of the money.”Barkett was arrested Wednesday in San Diego County on criminal charges of embezzlement, money laundering, grand theft and misappropriation of public funds, sheriff’s officials said. He remains in the jail on $1-million bail.
Prosecutors allege Barkett, Hill and Bouza were all working together in the development deal, according to court documents. Hill, who was being paid to represent the city’s interests, had a financial stake in the solar project through another company associated with San Gabriel Valley Water and Power, according to court documents. Bouza allegedly was owed $1.5 million by the developer.
The City of Industry — a small municipality along the 60 Freeway in the San Gabriel Valley consisting mostly of industrial businesses and home to fewer than 300 residents — has long been under a cloud of suspicion for its financial dealings and insular government.
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