L.A. County Investigators Rip Through Huntington Park Executing Warrants
Huntington Park City Hall , the Mayor's home, and the residences of current and former City Council members were searched Wednesday as part of a three-year investigation into a multi-million corruption scheme, the L.A. County district attorney's office announced.A series of coordinated raids were executed at the homes of Mayor Karina Macias, her Public Works Department, along with Councilmember Eduardo 'Eddie' Martinez, and former members Graciela Ortiz, along with Marilyn Sanabria, the sister of a current council member.Huntington Park City Manager Ricardo Reyes was served with a warrant, as was the city's Public Works Department. Investigators seized electronics, phones, and records as part of the case that began in November 2022, focused on what Los Angeles County D.A. Nathan Hochman calls the "potential misuse of millions of dollars in public funds," which were allocated for the construction of an aquatic center at Salt Lake Park. Huntington Park is in south central Los Angeles.'My office is committed to ensuring that public officials uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and transparency,' District Attorney Hochman said. 'When concerns arise about the use of public funds or the actions of those in office, it is our duty to investigate thoroughly and protect the public's trust."'I want to commend our dedicated prosecutors and investigators for their diligent work on this complex case. Their unwavering commitment to justice ensures that no one — regardless of their position or title — is above the law.'Hochman said investigators from the Bureau of Investigation, armed with search warrants, fanned out across Huntington Park seizing items from City Hall; the public works department; the proposed site for the publicly-funded proposed aquatic center; along with the homes of JT Construction Group owners. Those targeted in the probe could not be reached for comment. The raids echoed another massive federal law enforcement case centered on L.A. City Hall codenamed "Operation Casino Royale," one that sent several former City Councilmembers and a former L.A. deputy mayor to prison.
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