Former Upland City Manager Robb Quincey, left, stands next to one of his attorneys, Michael Nasatir, as he pleads not guilty during his arraignment Thursday at West Valley Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga. Quincey is facing three felony charges related to his settlement of a claim with an Upland police officer. (Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Staff Photographer)
By Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/20/2012 11:14:17 AM PST
Updated: 12/20/2012 07:57:07 PM PST
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Former Upland City Manager Robb Quincey pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony corruption charges in West Valley Superior Court.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office on Oct. 19 charged Quincey with felonies including unlawful misappropriation of public money, gaining personal benefit from an official contract, and giving false testimony under oath.
Quincey’s attorney Michael Zweiback said they will fight the charges.
“We look forward to our opportunity in court,” Zweiback said.
Deputy District Attorney Reza Sadeghi said he could not comment on the case.
Quincey, who was terminated by the City Council in May 2011 for failing to follow council direction and breaching his employment contract, is accused of committing a public officer crime as well as a conflict of interest in January 2010.
To read entire story, click here.
What a terrible way to spend the Holidays. May better days be on the horizon for the City of Gracious Living.
If you read the case information on the SB Court website, you will find that Quincey objected to having the media photgraph him in court. He obviously lost that one. What a tool! Looking forward to seeing certain councilmembers and Quincey’s girlfriend and former Upland Assistant Finance Director Ruby Carrillo up on the stand. Oh, the tales they will tell.
#2, You are right… this is going to be quite the show to say the least. Pomierski and his boys ran the city like their own country club. Perhaps this is a pay-per-view opportunity to help Upland backfill a bit of cash to the general fund! Can you imagine the bumbling mayor Musser on the stand when asked by Q’s attornies if he was aware of Quincey’s salary and decisions?
If pension-spiking were an Olympic event, Dr. Quincey would have been standing atop the podium with gold around his neck and taxpayers’ green stuffing his pockets. Some of his contract amendments – “giveaways” would be a more accurate term – called for the city to buy him eight years of CalPERS service credit in addition to the six years he worked there, and for the city to turn his $95,000-plus of final-year benefits into salary, solely for the purpose of boosting his retirement check to an obscene level.
Dr. Quincey fleeced Upland’s taxpayers in so many ways, with the aid of convicted felon (former Upland Mayor) John Pomierski and under the noses of the council members (including Willis, Musser) during his tenure as city manager. He started out with a ridiculously generous contract – with, for example, four weeks each of personal and administrative time off (in addition to vacation and sick time) – that was made even more preposterous with each amendment, like the one that allowed him to accumulate all that leave without limit and cash it out whenever he wanted.
Each of the nine amendments were presented to city council one at at time. Council never saw entire package. This was done to prevent questions. If this isn’t fraud, how should it be describe? Dr. Q;s entire package should be voided or at least cut. If not, put him on a podium and “give him the Gold Medal”!
Who’s the hot blonde? She better watch out for Ruby! Q is the ultimate tool dragging his son to court to try to pass himself off as a “family man.” Take a deal cause a jury won’t be kind to you.
Where’s the beef…..You forgot to mention that Burum backed JP and thus serves as the father of this corrupt financial disaster.
Anonymous #6:
Under your interpretation, somebody who supports an elected official during their campaign is responsible for their later actions. On that basis, I guess that everybody who supported Richard Nixon is a “crook.”
I believe that if there was even a microscopic connection between the actions of JP Pomierski and Jeff Burum, Mike Ramos would have been all over it.
@ #6 Red, It would be a stretch to link Jeff Burum to the downfall of the felon former mayor and Upland. If you are trying to make connection between Colonies and Upland’s financial woes, I think it would be time better spent to examine the depositions/court docs of SAWCO and Upland employee(s).
more to RED:
Unfortunately the retired Upland Councilman Ken Willis (NOT Jeff Burum)may have cost the City of Gracious living more money than anyone would have thought possible at the end of the day. His narrow view that the City of Upland would not have supported full development of the Colonies basin area due to the water recharge activities at the site and the need to provide a flood control facility to handle a 100 year storm and public safety issues.
Willis does not agree with the Flood Control District’s contention that they only had a minimal role in the 20th Street Drain. He claims the District was extensively involved with the 20th Street Drain project, and he does not agree that Caltrans and SANBAG had an independent obligation to obtain rights-of-way from Colonies for the discharge of water from the 20th Street Drain. He claims the District guaranteed it had the rights-of-way over Colonies’ property.
Willis is unwilling to testify because there is a protective order in place which prevents the District from obtaining his testimony. The Discovery Referee in this action ruled that plaintiffs were prohibited from obtaining deposition testimony from Willis due to the legislative privilege.
OoF
What? You are one, if not, the most sensible one here- leave Nixon out of this Upland mess!
Nixon was absolutely correct, he was NOT a crook. Nixon was painfully gullible at times, and surrounded by weak men-COWARDS- who were only concerned about their own skin–that was a dangerous combination and it did him in.
If anyone should be looked at more closely is Ken Willis- like Gary Ovitt- they both sit silently now, but when no one was paying attention they ran around as the FRONT MEN with their holier than thou soft voices and angelic faces pushing the greedy agendas of others who rewarded them both graciously…now Willis and Ovitt sit silently sucking their thumbs in the corner hoping no one will notice their presence.
Anonymous #10:
My use of Richard Nixon as an example was not an attempt to cast aspersions on his memory, but rather to cite a high profile example, since most people are familiar with the “I am not a crook” quote.
As things evolve, Jerry Brown’s quote about “the most appalling corruption case in decades, certainly in the history of San Bernardino County and maybe California itself” may be as well known locally, especially when the amount of taxpayer money spent is finally disclosed.
I do not know the role Ken Willis played in The Colonies issue, but in Comment #9, you say that he claimed that “the District guaranteed it had the rights-of-way over Colonies’ property.” This goes hand in hand with the defiant attitude exhibited by Jon Mikels, other county representatives, and the County attorneys.
Clearly, there’s lots of blame worthy conduct here, and all by those with no accountability. Too bad none of their own money was at risk, things might have been different.
“Too bad none of their own money was at risk” Yeah, just like those who abused and used redevelopment money for worthless or self serving projects, ignoring real needs in communities.
ANON#12…Exactly! Just like Burum. Let no one forget that while the FBI was raiding city hall in connection with JP’s activities they were also raiding Burum’s 2nd street restaurant. There are scandals here and there and the common thread they all have is Burum’s name eventually comes up in the mix. The rest of you can keep your heads buried in the sand if you like, but the rest of us Tax paying Americans that aren’t drawing an income from one of Burum’s companies see quite clearly the threat he poses.
Red,
You say, “the common thread they all have is Burum’s name” as if IT’S ALL Burum’s fault. Including Obama’s Health care tax hikes?
Does Sabo ring a bell?
Sabo influenced “redevelopment” money for his business partners under the radar at a time back when most of us common folks were ignorant and unaware of such abuses, and if you start asking, I bet every city had/has their own “Sabo” wanna be where redevelopment scandals and abuse could be found; and Burum was only ONE of them, but not THE BIG FISH as you would like everyone to believe.
So you see, there is much more to this picture, and the more that is uncovered the less influential and big league game player Burum actually is/was! Lets look at Timothy Sabo, one of the “foremost experts in redevelopment law …and served as redevelopment counsel to Inland Empire public agencies for THREE DECADES” and then fan out from there- are any of those individuals tied to Sabo back then still a city employee somewhere today, or doing business within the Inland Empire?
Anonymous #12:
You can rest easy.
Thanks to Jerry Brown, Redevelopment Agencies no longer exist, and there will be no more “redevelopment money” being “abused” and spent on “worthless or self serving projects” while “ignoring real needs.”
Instead, that money can be spent on things like protecting the Santa Ana Sucker Fish or building a High Speed Rail system from Madera to Bakersfield.
Anonymous #13:
“Let no one forget” that the FBI also raided Jeff Burum’s office building in Rancho Cucamonga. That’s when they got caught lying about what offices they searched.
Also, I am a “Tax paying american,” and do not see the “threat” that Mr. Burum “poses.” In fact, I see defiant elected officials who can gamble with our money with total impunity as a far bigger concern.
I do not want to be one of those who you claim keeps his head “buried in the sand;” can you elaborate on how Mr. Burum is a “threat.”