Former San Bernardino County Supervisor William Postmus was arrested Wednesday on charges of helping to negotiate an allegedly corrupt settlement worth $102 million between the county and a developer.
Also arrested was James Erwin, who later worked with Postmus in the county assessor’s office.
"These individuals engaged in conspiracy, corruption and bribery that cost San Bernardino taxpayers more than $100 million," said Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, whose office is assisting the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office with the investigation. "This is one of the most appalling corruption cases ever seen in California, and we will aggressively pursue this conspiracy until all of the facts are exposed."
County spokesman David Wert said officials were reviewing the information provided Wednesday by Brown and District Atty. Michael Ramos.
"The county has a proven track record of aggressively seeking the recovery of taxpayer money that is lost through corruption," Wert said.
The accusations resulted from a political corruption probe in San Bernardino County that uncovered evidence of bribery, extortion, theft, forgery and using county staff to do political work. Postmus and Erwin were already named in a complaint alleging criminal activity in the assessor’s office, which Postmus headed from January 2007 until his resignation in February 2009 after authorities said they had found methamphetamine in his home.
According to prosecutors, Rancho Cucamonga developer Colonies Partners filed a lawsuit against the county in 2002, challenging the local government’s easement rights and seeking to recover $23.5 million it had spent on flood-control improvements on its property. Four years later, against the advice of county counsel and private attorneys, the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve a settlement of $102 million with the developer, prosecutors said.
In a complaint filed Tuesday in San Bernardino County Superior Court, prosecutors allege Postmus accepted a $100,000 bribe to vote for the settlement and steer it through the board, which he chaired in 2006. They say the money was deposited in two political action committees, the Inland Empire PAC and Conservatives for a Republican Majority, which Postmus allegedly controlled.
Prosecutors say Postmus then transferred $50,000 from the Inland Empire PAC into his campaign account and used some of the funds for personal meals and entertainment.
According to the complaint, Colonies also gave Erwin $100,000, which was deposited into a PAC he allegedly controlled, the Committee for Effective Government. Prosecutors said Erwin, who acted as an intermediary between the company and the board, created political mailers depicting Postmus as a drug addict and homosexual to blackmail him into voting for the settlement.
In addition to the bribe, Erwin is accused of accepting other gifts, including a private jet trip to New York, meals, lodging, entertainment, prostitutes and a watch. Erwin is facing charges of perjury for failing to report those gifts after he was appointed assistant assessor in 2007. In September 2008, he was named chief of staff for Supervisor Neil Derry.
Prosecutors are also investigating two more alleged bribes of $100,000 each, and more arrests are possible, Brown said.
Erwin was charged with nine felony counts, including conspiracy, corruption , bribery, extortion, misappropriation of public funds and forgery. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 12 years in prison. Postmus faces up to eight years in prison, if convicted on five felony counts, including conspiracy, accepting a bribe, conflict of interest and misappropriation of public funds.
The arraignment for both men is scheduled Thursday.
— Alexandra Zavis