Former LA City Commissioner Sentenced On Embezzlement, Bribery Charges
LA City Commissioner Sentenced On Embezzlement, Bribery Charges
Prosecutors accused Wong of accepting $5,000 monthly bribes from a Taiwanese shipping company that was hoping to negotiate a favorable port lease from the Port of Los Angeles. Prosecutors charged that Wong used his position to provide Evergreen Marine Corporation officials with unprecedented access to city officials, and hid his financial relationship with Evergreen Marine Corp., from airport and harbor officials responsible for negotiating lease arrangements.
Prosecutors allege that Wong first began accepting payoffs in 2002 when he worked on an oversight commission for the Los Angeles World Airport. A former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor testified that Wong had provided him with LA Laker tickets and paid for massages and sexual favors to pressure him to work with Evergreen.
In addition, Wong, who also held a public relations position with Kaiser Permanente, used more than $300,000 in KP funds to purchase sporting event tickets, sometimes reselling them to friends and pocketing the cash. Wong, who served under James Hahn, Richard Riordan, and Tom Bradley, will appeal his conviction.
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