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Leland Wong gets 5 years in `pay to play' case

Former city commissioner Leland Wong was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for bribery, embezzlement and a host of other offenses discovered during a City Hall "pay to play" corruption investigation into former Mayor James Hahn's administration.

Wong had been an appointee of three mayors and had served on the city's Water and Power, Airports, and Harbor and Water.

In a harsh rebuke, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson said Wong used those years of city service, his good name and his access to politicians to extract $100,000 in bribes from a shipping company doing business with the city.

"The kind of political graft and corruption in this case does damage to our government," Johnson said.

Wong, 51, was found guilty in July of 14 felony charges, including bribery, conflict of interest, perjury, thefts by embezzlement and filing false tax returns.

He was taken into custody immediately after the sentencing. His attorneys said they are planning to appeal   Read Full Article...