Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/04/2013 06:22:53 PM PDT
In 2010, San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos announced the formation of the Inland Empire Joint Corruption Task Force, prompted by allegations of rampant corruption in local government. His announcement followed an FBI raid at the county-run Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, where it was alleged that some public officials had been receiving free medical care.
While that investigation didn’t bear fruit, there was plenty more where that came from.
The following year, federal agents from the task force raided the Rancho Cucamonga offices of developer Jeff Burum and the homes of three former San Bernardino County officials in a corruption probe alleging a $102 million legal settlement between the county and Burum’s investor group, Colonies Partners LP, was tainted by bribery, blackmail and extortion.
Since then, the task force has also investigated alleged corruption at the San Bernardino International Airport and in Upland, which have netted criminal charges and convictions against several officials and businessmen.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for all our partners in the Inland Empire Joint Corruption Task Force,” Ramos said in a statement Friday. “Together, through our combined efforts and resources, we are able to better address the issue of public corruption for our citizens. ”
Now, the task force has set its sights on Riverside County.
On Tuesday, federal agents served search warrants at the home of Moreno Valley Mayor Tom Owing and at the offices of Highland Fairview, a company that wants to build a 41-million-square-foot warehouse center, the World Logistics Center, on the city’s east side. The project has been met with opposition by neighboring residents who fear an influx of traffic and pollution.
Pooling resources
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said the task force is composed of agents from the FBI and the IRS, investigators from the San Bernardino and Riverside District Attorney’s offices and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
While it is more common for task forces to investigate violent crimes, they are sometimes established to investigate public corruption, Eimiller said.
“It’s a little more rare to have public corruption task forces, but not completely rare; we have a new one in the Orange County area,” said Eimiller, adding that corruption cases are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Task forces allow for a pooling of resources for large-scale investigations that may otherwise not be available for autonomous law enforcement investigations, Eimiller said.
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I complained to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office about Sheriff Rod Hoops having lunch with a woman under investigation for a collision resulting in the death of one of his own men, Detective Duane Parkison. According to Taryn Stout, the driver of the Mercedes involved in the collision, Sheriff Rod Hoops took her to lunch and described “a lot of what happened and things”. The problem here is that an elected official should not be describing any information obtained from the investigating agency to the woman being investigated. This seems to me to be “interfering in an investigation” or “witness tampering” or “obstruction of justice”. In my opinion this would qualify as corrupt, but so far, no agency has investigated it. Joe Nelson of the Sun knew of all of this and was given the police report yet chose not to report on it. So, in my opinion, this is a very selective task force, and Joe Nelson’s reporting of it is yet another example of his hack journalism.
And to Mr. “Anonymous that thinks he in the only one who can use the name Anonymous”: have at it again, I am used to you… I used my own name, or the name I am legally entitled to use or whatever… Use your own name this time, remember you admire those that do…
#3, Corruption is corruption. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, or words to that effect, by Martin Luther King. I don’t care how you “feel” about me. I believe you are wrong.
Mrs. Parkison, as you see Ramos did nothing to Hoops because they were best buddies. He will do nothing to McMahon either. Ramos is a joke and yes this is all political crap. We need to vote this idiot out and hope he will get his BAR CARD revoked. Oh I forgot he sucked the feet of the Attorney General.
Make no mistake. This county is FUCKED. McMahon, Ramos and the entire Board of Stupervisors. The county keeps elected them. Except McMahon who was appointed by the Board of Stupervisors. Where were you Ramos? This was corruption 101 when they appointed this hack! Oh Rod said it was OK?
We need to from a citizens group to watch this group of shitheads!
Josie, a restaurant owner, with NO law enforcement background had the LAST WORD to pick the County Sheriff for the largest and most corrupt county in this nation.
Josie got away with it!
NOT because the rest of the board of supervisors were indifferent to the whole process- they were COWARDS and AFRAID to speak up against HOOPS’ hand picked BOY!. I fear what looms for SBC if this cover up keeps up. Oh, I should mention, we all know Josie’s thought process is handicapped, more like non-existent, which is why she ASKED DA Ramos if HE WANTED HOOPS’ BOY as county sheriff too.
Anonymous on December 5th, 2012 5:34 pm
” Josie said she know what she wants but NEEDS to talk to the DA to find out what HE wants.”!!!!!!!
……
I had this PERFECT image of Josie being the ALL knowing QUEEN BEE!
Are you informing us NOW that Josie must go OUT of her HAND
SELECTED committee of “ONE” and ask our Top Law Enforcement
Officer, the DA, what SHE should look for in a COUNTY SHERIFF?
How could she NOT KNOW? Josie KNOWS EVERYTHING!
Did someone, like a staff member or “babysitter”, FORGET to inform
Josie that the “County Sheriff” position fell under “Law
Enforcement”?
It was OBVIOUS she had NO CLUE, otherwise her “COMMITTEE” to SCREEN applicants for County Sheriff would have included members of our community with ACTUAL law enforcement KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE!
One might ask, why a IE Joint Corruption TASK FORCE be necessary in the first place?
And why is DA Mikey having such a rough time doing anything about the ALLEGED CORRUPTION that is so painfully obvious to anyone that follows SBCo./ RivCo. local government politics?
Maybe it’s because the SBCo. DA is TOO CLOSE to the improper activity himself (s.a. with the ONT Leggio Bros. situation a few years back) to see anything wrong, because he is in fact the one that has perpetuated the partisan political environment in County, allowing this type of corrupt activity to continue.
Therein lies the answer to why a JOINT TASK FORCE to include the STATE AG’s office and the FBI was formed…
… it wasn’t so much out of a desire to show the public the spirit of cooperation between law enforcement agencies that the JOINT TASK FORCE was created, but more out of necessity, and more out of a need to COVER for the local authorities that have their HANDS TIED and can’t get the job done by themselves.
And BTW Joe, what is the difference between information deemed to be NEWSWORTHY and information that you decide to 86?
Looks more to us like you COVER-UP for the CONSPIRATORS instead of shedding any light on the rampant corruption problem (did you get your degree in Journalism on-line too??)
HEY JOE, don’t be the problem, let us SEE THE PROBLEM!
According to FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller, “corruption cases are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.” In San Bernardino County, the problem is that the prosecution actions are also decided on a “case by case basis.”
For example, Mike Ramos diverted $10,000 of his campaign contributions to his wife. Result: A FPPC fine.
Neil Derry allegedly laundered a fully reported $5,000 campaign contribution. Result: Felony charges.
#9
Thanks for reminding us of DA Mike Ramos’ co-conspirator and benefactor of the “political profits” he earns by “protecting” his political allies- yes, his wife GRETCHEN RAMOS.
Gretchen is not an innocent by stander or victim …she has been PROFITING ALL ALONG…GOT CAUGHT ONLY ONCE ….BUT GRETCHEN HAS BEEN AN INSIDER SINCE DAY ONE; a willing participant and knowing all along where that money was being laundered from, to her the extra money was worth the risk…there is no sympathy for her!
Anonymous on November 2nd, 2012 12:27 pm
The Jury will also ask the prosecution, “Why are we only hearing one side? Where is Gretchen Ramos, and where are the thousands of campaign political contributions her husband, District Attorney Mike Ramos, quietly deposited into her PERSONAL ACCOUNT (not PAC) when Ramos ran unopposed; then “forgot” to mention it to the FPPC…until they asked!”
Free healthcare at ARMC? Of course! Ask Josie Gonzalez and Dr Gnanandev.