SLO County supervisor Hill, Wright and Belsher conspired to obstruct justice

January 1, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill, and developers Ryan Wright and John Belsher conspired to obstruct justice, a practice the developers allegedly continued after Hill committed suicide, according to recently released court records.

Wright, Belsher and Hill went to great lengths to hide their alleged scheme to get Hill to illegally support their projects. Belsher created San Luis Consulting LLC, which he then put in Hill’s name, to conceal the bribery payments.

After CalCoastNews uncovered the scheme, Hill claimed he was paid for writing and editing, and that he was not a paid lobbyist. At the same time, then Tribune columnist Tom Fulks attacked CalCoastNews in a column titled, “CalCoastNews got it wrong: I’m not a paid lobbyist,” in what appeared to be an attempt to disparage CalCoastNews and protect Hill.

Fulks also worked as a consultant for Hill and SLO County Supervisor Bruce Gibson.

Federal agents arrested 37-year-old Wright, formerly known as “Ryan Petetit,” on Oct. 30 at his home in Grover Beach on charges of conspiracy, falsification of records and obstruction of justice and then transported him to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center. He has since been slapped with 18 additional charges related to a proposed development in Texas, including wire fraud, bank fraud and access device fraud.

Wright is detained without bail because of concerns he will flee and continue to obstruct justice, according to court records. He has filed a request for pretrial release, which resulted in prosecutors releasing documents describing his alleged attempts to obstruct justice.

Highlights from court records regarding bribery and obstruction schemes

In Sept. 2015, Hill publicly denied in a Facebook post on his campaign page that he was a “‘paid lobbyist’ or consultant or whatever,” after a CalCoastNews reporter asked him to explain his work for Belsher and Wright’s PB Companies. On Oct. 14, 2015, CalCoastNews published, “Supervisor Hill’s 2 jobs raise conflict of interest.”

FBI agents served a search warrant on Hill’s home on March 11, 2020, at the same time they were searching his office at the County Building.

A month later, in April 2020, FBI agents interviewed both Belsher and Wright.

In June 2020, agents served a target letter on Wright. A target letter lets a person know federal prosecutors believe they have committed a crime.

Wright hired a criminal defense attorney and agreed multiple times to toll the statute of limitations.

In Feb. 2022, prosecutors provided Wright and his counsel a reverse proffer describing the government’s evidence at the time, including a $10,000 wire transfer on Nov. 23, 2016 from PB Companies to Hill’s San Luis Consulting.

On Aug. 17, 2022, the government served Belsher a subpoena for PB Companies’ records. A month later, PB Companies began producing documents.

Belsher provided a spreadsheet that purported to show that Hill had sent PB Companies five invoices, each for $2,000 for work in connection with the Orcutt Marketplace project, in Santa Barbara County. PB Companies was attempting to show that the $10,000 payment to Hill was related to work outside of SLO County, and not illegal.

Federal investigators then asked for the native files. However, the native Excel files did not contain the invoices for the Orcutt Marketplace. The metadata for the native file showed that Wright had modified the files on May 6, 2021, after he discovered he was a target in the corruption investigation.

Metadata also showed Wright created the $10,000 invoice for Orcutt Marketplace on Aug. 22, 2022, according to court records. Investigators determined Wright fabricated the phony invoice.

“Other than self-serving, unsupported statements by Wright’s counsel and Belsher, there is no evidence that Hill did a substantial amount of work on the Orcutt project, let alone any work in 2016,” according to court records.

As part of their investigation, FBI agents interviewed Santa Barbara County supervisors Peter Adam and Steve Lavagnino, who said they had no recollection of ever talking to Hill about the Orcutt Marketplace project.

Text messages between Wright and Hill about the $10,000 payment also provide evidence the money was unrelated to the Orcutt Marketplace.

Wright provides false addresses to government, including the SLO County Court

Wright told both the DMV and the company leases his BMW from that he lives at 450 N. Palm Unit 206 in Beverly Hills. However, the unit is vacant and up for lease.

Belsher and Wright are fighting allegations they bilked Jeff and Debora Chase out of more than $2 million they invested in three of the developers’ projects in a civil case suspected to wrap up in March. After informing the court he lived out of the area, Wright was permitted to attend the trial through Zoom.

In a motion to the SLO County Court, Wright listed his address as 450 N. Palm Drive, #206, Indian Wells, CA 92210 – an address that does not exist.

When looking to arrest Wright, FBI agents reviewed SLO County Sheriff’s Department license plate reader information which showed Wright’s BMW in the San Luis Obispo County area since at least Aug. 1, 2023.

By using telephone cell tower information, agents learned Wright appeared at times to stay overnight at the residence of Jason Blankenship in Arroyo Grande. Through surveillance and cell tower information, agents then tracked Wright to a relative’s home he was staying at in Grover Beach.

On Oct. 31, agents served a search warrant at Wright’s Grover Beach residence before arresting him.

Wrights multiple attempts to get out of jail

Wright’s first attempt to get released on bail failed after prosecutors found issues with several people who were offering to post portions of his bond: Jason Blankenship of Arroyo Grande and Anne Cyr, an attorney based in Los Osos.

The government issued a subpoena to Cyr to obtain billing records and trust documents related to a trust in which Wright is a beneficiary. Cyr, through her attorney, informed the government that she would not comply with their subpoena.

During the initial detention hearing, the government objected to allowing Jason Blankenship to post bail money. Working with Wright, Blankenship allegedly provided false statements to help Wright try to obtain a bank loan.

On Dec. 20, Wright asked the court to let him out on $150,000 bail he plans to secure through family members and a childhood friend.

A week later, prosecutors filed an objection to Wright’s bid to get out on bail that listed multiple reasons, including his violent history and the probability of further criminal charges.

The government’s investigation is continuing, and prosecutors anticipate “filing additional charges in the months ahead,” according to court records.

Prosecutors also refer to Wright’s lengthy arrest history related to assaulting others. Even though she did not file charges, Wright’s ex-wife told investigators that he assaulted and battered her in Sept. 2020.

Prosecutors are also objecting to allowing Trevor Lady, a childhood friend of Wright, to post some of his bond.

Lady flew to Nashville for Wright’s bachelor party in May 2022. Wright paid for his and Lady’s plane tickets with money he fraudulently converted from investor funds.

Wright is scheduled to have a bail hearing on Jan. 2.

Wright pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. He is set for a jury trial on May 14.

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