Story Published:
Feb 3, 2010 at 2:59 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Feb 3, 2010 at 8:42 PM PDT
PICO RIVERA — Former City Councilman Ronald Beilke appeared in court Wednesday on more than half a dozen counts, including perjury and conflict of interest.
Deputy District Attorney Sandi Roth of the Public Integrity Division said Beilke, 50, is charged with one felony count each of perjury and conflict of interest. He also is charged with four misdemeanor counts of conflict of interest and two misdemeanor counts of accepting a gift in excess of the legal value.
His arraignment was postponed until March 8 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles. The defendant was charged Tuesday in a felony complaint.
Prosecutors allege Beilke voted to approve three contracts for construction work in an intersection immediately adjacent to his privately owned Wienerschnitzel franchise, and was involved in negotiations at the time with the developer of the adjacent commercial property to lease space to open a coffee shop.
At the time of voting on the contracts, the defendant also was allegedly engaged in negotiations with the developer of the adjacent commercial property where he was going to lease space to open a coffee shop, a statement from the district attorney’s office said.
Beilke also is accused of voting to approve a contract between the city of Pico Rivera and Krikorian Movie Theaters while purportedly accepting gifted movie tickets from the company.
In 2008, Beilke allegedly accepted movie tickets valued at more than $3,400 from Krikorian Theater and then underestimated the value of the gift on his Statement of Economic Interest which he certified under penalty of perjury.
Beilke’s attorney Anthony Willoughby could not be reached immediately for comment Tuesday. He told the Whittier Daily News Beilke would plead not guilty and that “we intend to fight this.”
If convicted of all counts, Beilke faces a maximum term of seven years, eight months in state prison.
Beilke was elected to serve on the Pico Rivera City Council in 2005. His four-year term concluded last November when he lost his bid for re-election.
His election stirred up things in City Hall almost immediately. Within a month of being sworn into office, Beilke voted along with Councilman David Armenta and then-Councilman Pete Ramirez to fire longtime City Manager Dennis Courtemarche.
Courtemarche was eventually replaced by Chuck Fuentes, who had directed Beilke’s City Council campaign but had no municipal government experience.
When Fuentes was fired less than a year after being hired, Beilke ran a slate of Bob Archuleta and Gracie Gallegos that won two seats on the City Council in 2007 and Fuentes was rehired as city manager.
Archuleta continues to sit on the council. Gallegos resigned her seat last July, shortly before it was revealed that while she was running for office she was being investigated — and later charged — with insurance fraud.
Five months after her election, Gallegos pleaded no contest to charges she cashed a check for more than $3,000 as part of a fraudulent insurance claim.
She was sentenced to five years of probation and 120 hours of community service, according to court documents.
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