Former Sen. Ron Calderon sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for bribery.
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| Ron Calderon |
LOS ANGELES >> Former state Sen. Ron Calderon was sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison Friday, four months after pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud. He also will be required to do 150 hours of community service after he is released from prison.
The federal corruption case against Calderon, D-Montebello, also swept up his brother, former state Assemblyman Tom Calderon, D-Montebello, who on Sept. 12 was sentenced to 10 months in federal custody for money laundering after pleading guilty to hiding the tens of thousands of dollars in bribes paid to his brother.
U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder said the sentence would “promote the interest of justice.”
“This is a very serious offense, invoking a breach of public trust,” Snyder said. “This crime is significant. It’s a true corruption case. It warrants custodial time.”
The U.S. Probation Office had recommended a five-year sentence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office asked for the same, except requesting a $7,500 fine and 250 hours of community service.
Mack Jenkins, assistant U.S. attorney, told the judge the sentence in the case sends an important message.
“This is a unique opportunity,” Jenkins said. “Citizens are looking to this court to right this wrong.”
Ron Calderon in the plea agreement admitted to accepting $156,000 worth of bribes in two cases.
One involved Michael Drobot Sr., former CEO of Pacific Hospital of Long Beach, who hoped to reap millions of dollars in illicit profits from a separate fraud scheme. Drobot pleaded guilty in June 2014 as part of a massive healthcare fraud scheme he orchestrated.
Drobot paid Calderon’s son, Zachary, a total of $30,000 over three summers beginning in June 2010 for a part-time job. In return, Calderon agreed to support legislation to delay or limit changes in workers’ compensation laws relating to the amount of money medical providers are reimbursed for performing spinal surgeries, according to the agreement.
Calderon also admitted to accepting bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as independent filmmakers who wanted changes to California’s Film Tax Credit program.
Some of those payments were sent by mail.
However, in court Friday, Calderon asked for probation or home detention, saying that he pleaded guilty to protect his family. His wife, Ana, and his son and daughter were present Friday.
“My intent was to do my job,” he said. “At no point did I think that I was breaking the law. What I did was to help my children, my brother and friends.”
Calderon also said that he has health problems, including clinical obesity, high blood pressure, glaucoma and arthritis, and it would be difficult for him to exist in prison.
He also complained that he would be forced to sell his home and go into bankruptcy because he has no way to make money.
But the judge didn’t buy Calderon’s comments.
“I didn’t hear Sen. Calderon accept responsibility or apologize,” Snyder said. “It was all about himself.”
The U.S. Department of Justice dismissed 23 counts of public corruption, mail fraud, wire fraud, bribery and money laundering originally filed against Ron Calderon as part of his plea agreement.
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