A former San Bernardino County Planning Commissioner has pled guilty to federal charges related to bribes made in the cannabis industry. The former commissioner, Gabriel Chavez, a resident of Upland, agreed to the guilty plea related to criminal charges of funneling bribes through his company to Ricardo Pacheco, a member of Baldwin Park’s City Council, in exchange for the politician’s votes and influence over the city’s cannabis permitting process.
Chavez’s guilty plea was provided to federal judges yesterday (October 11), and he has been cooperating with federal investigators since 2018. Chavez was appointed to the San Bernardino County Planning Commission in June 2018 but resigned in November 2018 after the FBI executed a search warrant at his home. Pacheco pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges in 2021. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are continuing their investigation into this matter.
Pacheco pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges in 2021.
