Jury finds L.A. skyscraper developer paid Jose Huizar more than $1 million in bribes, verdict likely to be announced today
The jury has begun deliberations in a bribery case against Los Angeles developer Jose Huizar, who was found guilty today of taking more than $1 million in bribes from an Indian real estate tycoon.
Jurors are still deliberating, and the verdict was expected to be announced today, according to prosecutors.
The verdict has been a long time coming as prosecutors have alleged Huizar took bribes from businessman Lalit Jain to secure hundreds of thousands of government contracts for him. In March 2015, a jury found Huizar guilty of 14 counts of bribery. The same jury acquitted Huizar of 14 other charges related to the same bribes.
On Wednesday, the jury returned another verdict in the case, finding Huizar guilty of 14 of the 16 counts against him. The jury recommended the state seek the death penalty in Huizar’s sentencing phase, and the judge agreed.
Prosecutors alleged Huizar paid Jain at least $1.1 million between 2013 and 2017 to secure dozens of government contracts. Jain had also sought government aid for his failed attempt to build a sprawling development on Los Angeles International Airport property.
The verdict in Huizar’s bribery case comes as the state works to address the billions of dollars in unclaimed lottery winnings still around $300 billion in size.
This is the fifth corruption case prosecuted by the Los Angeles office of District Attorney Jackie Lacey since she took office in April. All of the defendants received light sentences.
In February, attorneys for former House Speaker John Boehner, who has since pleaded guilty to eight felonies related to his ethics violation, alleged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Xavier Becerra, paid him more than $400,000 for promoting a potential campaign donation while Becerra was assistant attorney general in charge of the California attorney general’s office.
Becerra, a former prosecutor, left the District
