Today, law enforcement officials arrested several members of two separate Los Angeles homeless charities. According to a report in The Guardian, Michael Young, the founder of Home at Last, and Lakiya Malone, an employee of another group called Special Service for Groups, were detained by the FBI. Young is alleged to have embezzled $7.5 million in federal funds to open a nightclub, bingo hall, and restaurant. Malone is charged with taking $180,000 in bribes from the director of yet another homeless shelter. The Department of Justice is also seeking charges against a third man, Donye Marshall, the CEO of another organization called Big Blue Umbrella. Marshall allegedly obtained $1.2 million in federal funds under pretenses and used the money to pay off credit card debt, bail bonds, and to buy a Sony PlayStation and video games. It is unclear whether any of this is linked, but there is clearly a major governance issue at LA-based homeless charities.
Tag: LA
Former LA Councilman Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison After Bribery Scandal.
Last week, a former Los Angeles councilman, Jose Huizar, was sentenced to 13 years after being found guilty of bribery and tax evasion charges. According to a report in the AP, Huizar was the chair of the Los Angeles Planning and Land Use Management Committee, allowing him to approve high-rise buildings and other large-scale developments. While in office, Huizar accepted $1.5 million in bribes, which included tickets to sporting events, casino chips, and political contributions. According to a report in The Hill, David Lee, the real estate developer involved with Huizar, will also serve time for his part in the plot. It is also curious to note that Huizar, at the time of his arrest, was trying to get his wife Richelle to take over his seat when his term ended in 2020. It is crystal clear that Huizar liked those two cornerstones of political life: power and money.
