It used to be one of the crucial extra evocative scenes described by way of prosecutors as a part of their Town Corridor corruption investigation: A political aide arrives on the house of a Los Angeles town councilman and items him with a liquor field full of money.
George Esparza instructed prosecutors that during 2017, he took the Don Julio tequila field filled with $100 expenses to the Boyle Heights place of abode of his boss, then-Councilman Jose Huizar. Esparza mentioned the councilman to start with instructed him to cover the money and later hounded him for the cash.
Now, the Bel-Air businessman accused of offering that money is going through his day in courtroom, within the first of 3 trials that make up the sprawling bribery and racketeering case towards Huizar.
George Esparza, who used to be an aide to former Councilman Jose Huizar, has instructed prosecutors that he delivered a liquor field full of money to his boss’s house in 2017.
(Division of Justice)
Legal professionals for all sides delivered opening statements Tuesday within the case towards Dae Yong Lee, an actual property developer accused of paying $500,000 to be sure that Huizar would transparent the best way for a 20-story residential tower deliberate by way of his restricted legal responsibility corporate, 940 Hill.
Lee, often referred to as David Lee, has pleaded no longer in charge to bribery, cord fraud and one rely of obstruction of justice. He is almost all proprietor of 940 Hill, which may be a defendant within the case.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Cassie Palmer instructed the jury that Lee supplied the cash to “grease the wheels” of town govt. On the time, Lee were going through a problem to his undertaking from a union workforce, which threatened to motive main delays and value tens of tens of millions of bucks, she mentioned.
“The defendants took a trail that used to be less expensive, that used to be sooner, that used to be assured,” she mentioned.
Ariel Neuman, the legal professional for Lee, instructed jurors that his consumer is a sufferer, any person who believed the $500,000 he had supplied used to be going to a expert appearing legit consulting paintings. Of their zeal to take on public corruption, federal prosecutors “swept up any person who had no thought” that Huizar, Esparza and the others had been engaged in a prison undertaking, he mentioned.
Prosecutors are going to provide an “unpleasant, unpleasant tale” about corruption, Neuman mentioned. “None of it has anything else to do with Mr. Lee.”
The trial of any other developer within the case, Shenzhen New Global I, is scheduled for October. Huizar’s trial is about for February.
Prosecutors say Huizar used to be in control of a large scheme during which he and others won profitable favors from builders in change for sign-offs on their downtown high-rise initiatives. Huizar has pleaded no longer in charge to racketeering, bribery and different fees.
Lee’s corporate proposed its residential high-rise seven years in the past, submitting an utility to construct greater than 200 residences at Olympic Street and Hill Side road, within the South Park segment of downtown. The making plans division supplied its preliminary approval of the undertaking in 2016.
Weeks later, Creed LA, a gaggle representing building industry unions, filed an enchantment of that call, elevating the chance that the undertaking will require a vote of the Town Council.
Lee then became to marketing consultant Justin Kim for assist in eliminating the union problem. Kim, an actual property appraiser, used to be a fundraiser for Huizar who knew Town Corridor — and had served at one level at the town’s robust making plans fee.
Prosecutors mentioned Kim, whilst running for Lee, served as a go-between for Lee and the council place of business, arranging more than one “cash drops.” Kim picked up money from Lee and passed a portion of it over to Esparza, who used to be intended to get it to Huizar, prosecutors mentioned.
Creed LA — which represents plumbers, electric employees and different building trades — dropped its problem of the 940 Hill undertaking in March 2017.
Kim and Esparza pleaded in charge to corruption fees in 2020, admitting they had been contributors in a bribery scheme targeted on Lee’s undertaking.
In his plea settlement, Kim mentioned he stored a $100,000 fee that used to be supposed for Huizar in July 2017.
Neuman, the attorney for Lee, instructed jurors that his consumer believed Kim used to be merely negotiating a answer to the problem filed by way of Creed LA, often referred to as the Coalition for Accountable Equitable Financial Building. Prosecutors have pinned their case on Kim — “a liar and a thief” who has again and again modified his tale, Neuman mentioned.
“This example is set a person, my consumer, who made the error of trusting the fallacious particular person,” he mentioned.
A display shot of a graphic created by way of federal prosecutors that presentations a textual content message change between actual property marketing consultant Justin Kim and George Esparza, an aide to then-Councilman Jose Huizar.
Neuman mentioned he intends for the protection to name as a witness Jeff Modrzejewski, Creed LA’s government director. The protection additionally plans to name Town Corridor lobbyist Chris Modrzejewski, brother of Jeff Modrzejewski.
Chris Modrzejewski intends to claim his fifth Modification proper to stay silent, in line with a contemporary submitting within the case. A consultant of Chris Modrzejewski declined to remark when reached by way of The Instances.
On Tuesday, prosecutors started wondering FBI Particular Agent Andrew Civetti, who has been deeply concerned within the case and described his paintings extracting data from mobile phones belonging to Esparza, Huizar’s particular assistant. In addition they confirmed jurors footage of the liquor field and stacks of $100 expenses taken by way of Esparza.
Prosecutors mentioned Esparza stored in depth notes at the bribe cash he used to be transporting.
At one level, he took {a photograph} of a serviette on which he wrote the phrases “Giving money to CM Huizar 2/10/2017,” in line with one fresh submitting.
Esparza used to be “a specifically meticulous file keeper,” Palmer mentioned.
