Story Created:
Mar 11, 2010 at 1:05 PM PST
Story Updated:
Mar 11, 2010 at 1:05 PM PST
MONTEREY PARK — A former city councilwoman and her political consultant have been charged with several felonies in connection with a 2007 campaign mailer.
Sharon Martinez, who served on the City Council for eight years starting in 2001, and Melrose Castillo of Alhambra, each face five-year state prison sentences for their roles in producing a campaign mailer that targeted City Councilman Frank Venti.
According to Deputy District Attorney David Demerjian, who head the D.A.’s Public Integrity Division, Martinez and Castillo face felony charges of conspiracy, false political advertising, forgery, counterfeiting and perjury.
Martinez faces an additional misdemeanor count of dissuading a witness.
According to court documents, Martinez, who was not facing re-election in 2007, paid Castillo $5,000 to produce a campaign mailer titled “Message from Councilman Frank Venti” that included a false return address.
The mailer consisted of a letter, supposedly from Venti, that discussed merging the city’s Fire Department with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The letter included an alleged forgery of Venti’s signature and a counterfeit city seal, according to the criminal complaint.
The mailer was sent out March 2, 2007, just four days before the election. Venti was re-elected despite the fraudulent mailer, but was angry and offered a $5,000 reward for information on who was responsible for it.
Later that year he filed suit against Martinez and Castillo. That suit is expected to go to trial in June.
Demerjian said that perjury charges and the charge of dissuading a witness stemmed from depositions given in preparation for that trial.
Martinez was voted out of office last March after eight years on the council.
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