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Former Anaheim chamber chief seeks to withdraw guilty plea By Paul Anderson, City News Service
NO. 249
VOL. 13,
LA Mayor Bass lifts emergency declaration on homelessness By Jose Herrera, City News Service
F
ederal prosecutors are recommending one day in jail, or time already served, for former Anaheim Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Todd Ament as a reward for his cooperation with authorities in their probe of ex-Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu in the failed Angel Stadium sales deal, according to a sentencing brief obtained Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ament’s attorneys have filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea, arguing he got bad advice from his prior attorney, Sal Ciulla. Ament’s motion to withdraw his plea comes after U.S. District Judge Fernando Aenlle-Rocha rebuffed prosecutors’ attempts to dismiss a wire fraud count against Ament. Ament pleaded guilty in July 2022 to defrauding a cannabis company in addition to loan fraud and tax cheating. Melahat Rafiei, a former Orange County Democratic Party executive director, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and fined $10,000 for her role in the public corruption case. Rafiei pleaded guilty to attempting to rip off a client for her political consultancy firm and a bribery scheme involving two Irvine City Council members. Rafiei wore a wire to help authorities build a case against Ament, who later wore a wire himself when meeting with Sidhu, leading to his conviction and a twomonth prison sentence in the failed Angel Stadium sales deal. The U.S. Probation Office has recommended 30 to 37 months in federal prison and that Ament should face $10,000 to $1 million in fines. Federal prosecutors had argued Ament should face 18 to 24 months behind bars, but given his cooperation in
Tents on the sidewalk line an LA street. | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
Angel Stadium. | Photo courtesy of Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress/Picryl
the Sidhu investigation, he should instead face zero to six months in prison, according to a sentencing brief filed Tuesday. “Based on defendant’s cooperation, the government respectfully recommends that the court impose a sentence of one day (time served),” according to the brief from Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Rabbani. Prosecutors also recommended restitution of $225,000 and a fine of $9,500. Ament’s attorneys argue that their client got bad legal advice when he pleaded guilty in the case. They also argue there is not enough evidence in the wire fraud count to sustain a conviction. “Mr. Ament made clear to his prior counsel that he could not admit to the facts alleged in the plea agreement,” his attorneys Daniel Silva and Ashwin Ram argued in court papers filed Tuesday. “The reason: the facts were untrue,” the defense attorneys added. “Despite his protests of his innocence and
an inherently flawed factual basis, prior counsel directed Mr. Ament to plead guilty, to proffer his guilty pleas to the court, and to accept the factual basis at his plea hearing.” Ament waited to contest the guilty plea until he was finished cooperating with investigators through last fall “on multiple criminal investigations,” his attorneys said. Also, his current attorneys “privately raised arguments with (prosecutors) that the information alleged facts that did not amount to criminal conduct,” according to the motion. The defense attorneys argued that Ament was “targeted due to his political connections” as a Republican strategist. The attorneys argued that Ament’s prior attorney “had exceedingly limited experience defending subjects and targets of federal white-collar investigations.” See Plea change Page 28
Ament was “fearful and overwhelmed” when he agreed to cooperate with authorities following a “civil forfeiture case filed” against his home, his attorneys said. Ament claimed he was told by a prosecutor that if he cooperated the charges against him would “go away,” his attorneys said. “With these promises, FBI special agents immediately asked Mr. Ament about politically conservative, pro-business (political action committees) in Orange County,” his attorneys said. “Mr. Ament warned that he had never engaged in bribery or other corrupt influence activities.” Ament’s work helped lead to Sidhu receiving a two-month sentence in federal prison for registering a helicopter he bought out of state to avoid taxes and for obstructing justice in the stadium deal negotiations. The defense attorneys
M
ayor Karen Bass on Tuesday lifted her declaration of a local emergency on homelessness, saying that while the crisis persists, the city now has the tools in place to continue urgent action without the temporary order she signed on her first day in office. In a memo to the City Council, the mayor reiterated that if at any point “extraordinary authority” is needed to maintain or accelerate progress on homelessness, she would not hesitate to reinstate the declaration. Her decision came at a time when council members have discussed steps to phase out her emergency declaration. “Therefore, with the city firmly pointed in a new direction on homelessness, I am lifting the official declaration of a state of emergency. Let me be clear: The crisis remains, and so does our urgency,” Bass wrote in her letter. “Every day, we will continue to be on the streets, engaging with people living in encampments and RVs, bringing people Inside Safe and See Homelessness Page 27
restoring neighborhoods across Los Angeles.” “I look forward to our continued partnership and thank you for your commitment to serve the people of Los Angeles,” her letter continued. Bass’ declaration of a local emergency gave her and city officials authority to expedite contracting and to launch her signature program Inside Safe. The mayor then issued Executive Directive 1, which expedited the process and approval for homeless shelters and 100% affordable housing projects. City officials are advancing an effort to codify ED1 as an ordinance. The mayor also touted progress on reducing homelessness in the city, citing data from the annual Homeless Count overseen by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. “For the first time ever, Los Angeles has seen two consecutive years of reduction in homelessness, including a 17-percent drop in street homelessness,” her letter said.