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San Luis Obispo developer seeking 51-month sentence in prison

October 25, 2024

John Belsher and Ryan Petetit, also known as Ryan Wright

Editor’s note: CalCoastNews is referring to developer Ryan Petetit, who changed his name to Ryan Wright during the case, as Ryan Petetit-Wright.

By KAREN VELIE

Former San Luis Obispo developer Ryan Petetit-Wright asked the court to expedite his sentencing hearing in a memorandum filed Wednesday seeking a 51-month sentence.

Last Month in a plea agreement with Justice Department officials, Petetit-Wright admitted conspiring with former San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill and others to deprive local citizens of honest services through a pay-to-play scheme in a plea. Petetit-Wright pleaded guilty to one criminal count: conspiracy.

Facing a sentence of 51 to 63 months in prison, Petetit-Wright is requesting the lowest possible sentence — 51 months. He is also requesting a sentencing hearing on Nov. 25.

“The defense further requests that this Honorable Court recommend that Mr. Wright be designated to the federal prison facility at Lompoc to facilitate family visitation,” according to the sentencing memorandum.

FBI agents arrested Ryan Petetit-Wright on Oct. 30, 2023 on a three-count indictment charging him with conspiracy, falsification of records and obstruction of justice. Petetit-Wright and his partner John Belsher’s business, PB Companies, were alleged to have paid Hill nearly $100,000 in bribes and gifts.

A superseding indictment filed on Dec. 20, 2023, included 18 additional charges, including wire fraud, bank fraud and access device fraud. The additional counts related to a proposed development in Texas.

Petetit-Wright admitted that from approximately June 2014 until March 29, 2017, he and Hill engaged in a quid pro quo bribery scheme. Hill would use his “official position to help defendant secure approvals necessary for PB Companies’ real estate development projects,” the charge read.

Hill “would, among other things, advise and seek to influence other public officials, including city officials and individuals appointed to City of San Luis Obispo commissions, to perform official acts beneficial to PB Companies’ real estate development projects,” according to the plea agreement. “Defendant admits that his bribe payments to Hill were material acts; that is, they had a natural tendency to influence, or were capable of influencing, the county and its officials, the city and its officials, and the public.”

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors are seeking a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years supervised release, and restitution of between $1.5 and $1.9 million.

Petetit-Wright agreed to be truthful at all times with the court, complete a financial disclosure statement, and admit to his crimes. As long as Petetit-Wright complies with the agreement, prosecutors will not charge him with other crimes including violations of criminal tax laws from 2018 through 2022.

Petetit-Wright remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.

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I think the Feds case was falling apart and they offered a plea to one count to get something on the board. Petetit probably agreed to get it settled and have a hope of getting out of jail one day.


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The indictment filing available to the public have plenty of discussion concerning the Airport Land Use Area, the newly appointed commissioners and Avila Ranch.


Wathen Castanos Peterson Homes, Inc., is arguably the primary benefactor of the deciding votes cast by the two new airport land use commissioners Erich Schaefer and Michael Cripe both seemingly hand picked by Adam Hill and the BOS and encouraged by Jan Marx and the City of SLO. They replaced two qualified commissioners that were not tendering the votes Marx and Hill sought. Neither Cripe nor Schaefer abstained from voting nor disclosed any conflicts of interest in the casting of their majority votes needed to make Avila Ranch a reality. These fellas two votes put hundreds of millions in the pockets of the Airport land use area developers by allowing masses of housing on land designated airport hazard zone.


The Fresno Bee reports: “Wathen Castanos Peterson Homes, Inc. is owned by the Assemis, according to a description of the Assemi Group, despite no mention of their names on state filings.”


See: https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article272961340.html


KVPR reports the Assemi Family began federal litigation airing their internal dirty business laundry with family members asserting that their Enterprise is riddled with criminal , racketeering, fraud, loan fraud, tax evasion, record falsification conduct. The initial lawsuit was filed within days of the superseding indictment being filed against Ryan Wright was filed by the DOJ on December 20, 2023.


See: https://www.kvpr.org/local-news/2023-12-20/new-fresno-lawsuit-pits-father-against-son-in-struggle-for-control-of-assemi-family-business


The Fresno Bee reports the Assemi Enterprise’s lenders have filed many federal civil complaints for foreclosure and receivership currently standing at $770,000,000. Avila Ranch EA, LLC is named in some. This began just days after Ryan Wright’s confession to the pay to play and conspiracy last month.


See https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article294026449.html


The Assemi’s sold Avila Ranch to Trumark in October 2023. Ryan Wright’s initial indictment was unsealed about this time. Avila Ranch and the ALUC are liberally discussed in the dockets of the case.


Are Assemis and their entourage in SLO strangers to conflicted interests, govt. corruption or bribery ? The Fresno bee and Debbie Petersons book “The Happiest Corruption” and the FBI “operation rezone” investigation and prosecutions in Fresno years back may provide some background.


https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article264152256.html


Civil cases as such may be rendering useful information and facts concerning the FBI IRS fraud investigations.


24

“Last Month, Petetit-Wright admitted conspiring with former San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill and others to deprive local citizens of honest services through a pay-to-play scheme in a plea agreement with Justice Department officials. Petetit-Wright pled guilty to one criminal count: conspiracy”…

So, Hill killed himself, but what about the “others”? Who are the “others”, and why are they not also charged with the same conspiracy? How is it that only one party of a conspiracy is held to account? You sort of need conspirators in order to have a conspiracy… he should be required to testify against those he conspired with.

Maybe more indictments to come?


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