Postmus
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 09/29/2011 09:38:47 PM PDT
The attorney for Bill Postmus is concerned that his client, who is cooperating with state and local prosecutors in their investigation of San Bernardino County’s $102 million legal settlement with a Rancho Cucamonga developer, could be in legal jeopardy from a federal investigation into the deal.
The former county supervisor’s name appears in a federal search warrant served Sept. 15 by roughly 100 FBI and IRS agents in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The FBI and IRS are investigating allegations of bribery, extortion and fraud in connection with the record settlement with Rancho Cucamonga developer Colonies Partners LP, according to the warrant.
Stephen Levine, Postmus’ attorney, said he contacted prosecutor Lewis Cope, who heads the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit, last week to discuss the federal investigation and whether state and local prosecutors have some kind of agreement with the FBI in which Postmus would be immune from federal prosecution. The two have yet to discuss the matter.
“If there is an agreement between the three agencies, they haven’t informed me as of yet,” Levine said. “We don’t know the length and breadth of the federal investigation, and obviously I’m concerned it’s going to continue to add to Mr. Postmus’s legal troubles.”
He said the federal investigation puts him and Postmus in an awkward position.
“At this point in time, we’re still in a cooperative mode with Mr. Cope and the A.G. (attorney general),” Levine said. “We intend to honor our contract, but of course we have concerns that if the federal investigation comes to fruition, is Mr. Postmus a person of interest?”
District attorney’s spokesman Chris Lee declined to comment.
FBI and IRS agent served warrants at the homes and businesses of former state Sen. Jim Brulte, Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum, former assistant assessor Jim Erwin, Riverside publicist Patrick O’Reilly, and Mark Kirk, the former chief of staff for Supervisor Gary Ovitt.
Federal agents sought various documents and electronic media to show financial transactions for evidence of payment of money or other things of value to public officials in exchange for performance of official acts. They also sought evidence of bribery, extortion or fraud, including “cash in an amount or concealed in such a manner as to indicate it is proceeds of criminal activity,” according to the search warrant.
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Another CLUE the Feds had no serious discussion with Mikey and his crew prior to serving those warrants, and no reason to believe a joint operation is actually taking place.
JUST talk by everyone to create the appearance all is well for NOW..
And Bill, his attorney, friends,family had NO CLUE this could happen?
Bill I believe your agreement is with the State? So it meight be mull and void as far as the Feds are concerned.
OH SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bill, maybe you should cut a deal with the Feds and TELL THE TRUTH THIS TIME!!!!! Tell them everything about your lying because you felt forced too. They may cut you a deal that exempts you from State Prosecution. Think about it!!!
Me thinks Bud Randalls could be the guy in hand cuffs when this whole mess is over….
Best attorney line ever from Levine: “I’m concerned it’s going to continue to add to Mr. Postmus’s legal troubles”.
You got that right, Mr. Levine. Postmus better be paying you handsomely!
Postmus still hasn’t figured out he is San Bernardino’s Oswald to the tax payers. All of theses defendants were set up from day one to take the fall, with probably a promise to help get them off. None of the actual heavy hitters in any of this was ever even indicted so who’s the fool? Oh that’s right the tax payers and voter’s! There is little doubt that Postmus is going to get nailed for his joke of a testimony he gave.
So many people will breathe a sigh of relief the day Bill is locked up. He has hurt so many people since his day as Supervisor. He’s brought nothing but shame to his family.
billy the plot thickens no question about that. Whatever went on in Upland with Crebs and the colonies, would not be suprising. Again time will tell.
But if the FBI had been working closely with the DA all this time, the issue with Postmus would have been addressed. It appears the DA and FBI are not on the same sheet of music. NOT a surprise when the DA is a problem in the scheme of things, and they are.
Postmus is not small potatoes, he still knows where bodies are buried OUTSIDE the colonies issues. But either way you slice it, the FBI will or needs to talk to Postmus just to tie up some loose ends if nothing else.
There’s the discrepancy (no wonder Levine is worried), the FBI’s case is looking outside of the Mikey and Moonbeam Show’s John Does (NO DUH, Ovitt)!
Like Brulte’s involvement is obviously now being investigated, as is the reason why, of course, Dan “Doe #2″ Richards wasn’t even charged once the charges were finally handed down (remember the “expanding investigation” excuse for PIU Lewis’ incompetence). Do these diversions by DA Mikey and former AG Moonbeam have anything to do with the WILL OF THE DEVIL… sure there was a deal, and it was made by Mark “Jailbird” Kirk, who was already listed as a Mikey and Moonbeam John Doe when he was allowed to negotiate the 10 year contract for the Devil of a CAO (turned CEO).
Sure, even a blind guy can see that Kirk belongs in the line-up, but it’s even more obvious that he is fulfilling the ROLE OF FALL GUY so that the Devil’s best buddy escapes prosecution. The FBI have to be scratching their heads as to why the CIRCULAR CONSPIRACY THEORY that has been cooked-up by DA Mikey leaves out that critical THIRD VOTE TO APPROVE THE TAINTED COLONIES SETTLEMENT, a vote that the Colonies Boyz (Burum/ Richards) payed so much to bring over from Ontario and be elected as a County Supervisor.
Postmus and his attorney, and even DDA Lewis don’t know what’s going on with the FBI investigation, because THAT’S HOW THE FBI ROLLS… but one thing is for sure, this is by definition, AN EXPANDING INVESTIGATION.
DA Mikey (and even former-AG/ now Governator Moonbeam) can’t be liking Life (not cereal) about now. Especially as the locations and operations of these joint powers authorities (JPA’s) and/or municipalities are picked off one-by-one by the unbiased OUTSIDE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES, and these scandals also include financial impropriety involving favoritism/ conflict of interest and graft in public contracting, that mimic the Colonies settlement gift of public funds to a developer. Some things never change (until the feds show up).
Time honored motto of the feds (FBI/IRS): FOLLOW THE MONEY… nice job so far (lots more to come).