San Luis Obispo developer appeals sentence, not guilty plea

November 26, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

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

After pleading guilty and then sentenced to five years in federal prison for his part in a pay-to play scheme, San Luis Obispo developer Ryan Petetit-Wright filed a notice of appeal on Nov. 22 over his sentencing, but not his guilty plea.

Petetit-Wright pleaded guilty to conspiring with his partner John Belsher and San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill to deprive local citizens of honest services through a corruption scheme. Petetit-Wright pleaded guilty to one criminal count: conspiracy.

FBI agents arrested 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, 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.

After pleading to one count, Petetit-Wright faced a sentence of 51 to 63 months in prison. He requested the lowest possible sentence — 51 months while prosecutors wanted 61 months.

On Nov. 12, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson sentenced Petetit-Wright to five years in federal prison.

Petetit-Wright, who has been in federal custody since Oct. 2023, is hoping to be incarcerated at the federal prison facility at Lompoc. He currently remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.

Petetit-Wright was a managing member of PB Companies and had served as the company’s CEO until Dec. 2015. Petetit-Wright and  Belsher started out big with more than a dozen projects they valued at over $300 million.

Under their PB Companies’ name, they borrowed money from banks, hard money lenders and private parties. However, they regularly failed to pay investors and contractors.

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 the developers secure approvals necessary for PB Companies’ real estate development projects in both the county and the city of San Luis Obispo.

PB Companies allegedly paid nearly $100,000 in bribes and gifts to Hill.

While under a federal investigation, Hill committed suicide with an overdose of cocaine and antidepressants on Aug. 6, 2020.

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