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Former California city councilmen sentenced to federal prison for bribery

August 26, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Two former city councilmen in Southern California each received sentences of 18 months in federal prison for committing corrupt acts while they were elected officials.

Ricardo Pacheco, 63, of Baldwin Park, and Jacob Galvan, 39, of Compton, took part in a corruption scheme related to cannabis projects, in which Galvan facilitated $70,000 in bribes to Pacheco. Galvan was working as a consultant for a company seeking to obtain city permits for marijuana cultivation in Baldwin Park.

Pacheco, who served on the Baldwin Park City Council from 1997 to 2020, pleaded guilty in June 2020 to one count of federal program bribery. Pacheco admitted to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes from a Baldwin Park police officer working at the FBI’s direction in exchange for the then-councilman’s support of the police union’s contract with the city.

Galvan, who served on the Compton City Council from 2013 to 2022, pleaded guilty in Dec. 2025 to one count of federal program bribery and one count of evasion of tax assessment. Galvan admitted to paying bribes to Pacheco in exchange for Pacheco’s votes and support of commercial marijuana permits. Galvan also admitted to failing to report to the IRS more than $500,000 in income.

During the sentencing hearing on Monday, U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II fined Pacheco $10,000 and ordered him to pay $219,755 in restitution. Wright ordered Galvan to pay $323,557 in restitution. 

In San Luis Obispo County, now-deceased Supervisor Adam Hill accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from marijuana mogul Helios Dayspring. While under a federal investigation, Hill committed suicide.

 


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17 Comments

“Any party affiliation lock em up” ; annnnd….(Former New Mexico House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton was convicted on 37 federal counts for funneling $3.2 million in public school funds to a friend’s software company in exchange for $1.15 million in personal kickbacks.


A member of the Democratic Party)


15

The answer is simple…Don’t accept money from the marijuana industry; just ask each candidate to pledge that. Then you’ll get a sense of where their ethics lie. Politicians readily tout how they don’t take money from Big Oil, or Big Tobacco, or other ethically challenged interests. Why not add these proven bad actors to the list?


1

Legalized cannabis and corruption. WHO would have thought?


1

Where are the” Mug Shots “of Ricardo Pacheco, 63, of Baldwin Park, and Jacob Galvan, 39 ?


2

Adam Hill was a thief and a coward. And his cohorts are still in public office.


24

People got what they voted for . A adolescent child .


2

“each received sentences of 18 months” to be reduced to less than 9 months for violating the public trust, sentence should be at least 5 years with no reduction. Not much of a deterrent for others to not do the same thing.


20

Plus loss of any public pension……


19

Demo-CROOKS…..fleecing the tax payers all the time. Any politician! Any party affiliation RIPPING US OFF….LOCCK EM UP!!!!!!


13

Don’t you dare stand there and act like all Democrats are crooks and the party of Grand Old Pedophiles aren’t. On June 12, 2026 the Orange turd bought between $250,000 and $500,000 in Boeing stock, and then later that day it was announced Boeing had received an $880,000,000 contract with the US Navy. Or are you going to say he’s a genius with great timing?


-16

From Snopes: ” President Trump’s stock and bond portfolio is independently managed by third-party financial institutions. All holdings are maintained in discretionary accounts and invested through computer-based model portfolios that automatically replicate recognized indexes, such as the Schwab 1000. Neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence, or provide input regarding how the portfolio is invested or when investments are bought or sold. All investment decisions are made entirely by independent managers. “


Pelosi cannot claim the same. She is a genuine grifter from inside information.


4

He’s a billionaire. So, yes, he actually is a genius with great timing.


Now do Nancy Pelosi awarding her husband no contest contracts!


3

If these politicians didn’t already have some ties to Mexican Drug Cartels, they surely would have once their corrupt ways and mala fides were well established within the underground criminal elements of their communities.


2

So what’s new?


17
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