A Democrat Los Angeles Metropolis Councilman has been charged with corruption for embezzling $800,000.
The Los Angeles DA filed two new costs in opposition to Curren Worth this week alleging the embezzlement of public funds and awarding contracts for his personal monetary achieve.
Worth was first hit with 5 embezzlement costs in 2023. He pleaded not responsible to the fees.
“Embezzling public funds and awarding contracts to your personal monetary achieve is the antithesis of public service,” Los Angeles County District Lawyer Nathan Hochman mentioned. “Our communities anticipate and deserve higher from their public officers. I thank our investigative crew and prosecutors within the Public Integrity Division for diligently pursuing each lead and holding elected officers accountable. Self-dealing and pay-to-play politics is not going to be tolerated in Los Angeles County.”
Per the Los Angeles District Lawyer’s Workplace:
The Los Angeles County District Lawyer’s Workplace has filed two new public corruption costs in opposition to Los Angeles Metropolis Councilmember Curren Worth after uncovering proof that the town’s housing authority and LA Metro paid Worth’s spouse greater than $800,000 whole on the identical time Worth voted to award the companies multimillion-dollar contracts.
Curren De Mille Worth Jr. has been the Los Angeles Metropolis Councilmember for the Ninth District since 2013. Like all different councilmembers, he’s prohibited from having a monetary curiosity related to any venture that comes earlier than the Metropolis Council.
Worth (dob 12/16/50) was charged on June 13, 2023, in case BA515782 with 5 felony counts of embezzlement of presidency funds, three felony counts of perjury and two felony counts of battle of curiosity.
The ten felony counts allege that Del Richardson & Associates, an organization owned solely by Worth’s spouse, Delbra Pettice Richardson, acquired funds totaling greater than $150,000 between 2019 and 2021 from builders earlier than he voted to approve tasks.
Worth can be accused of embezzling roughly $33,800 in metropolis funds from 2013-2017 to pay for medical advantages for Richardson, who he falsely claimed was his spouse whereas nonetheless legally married to Lynn Suzette Worth.
Worth pleaded not responsible to those costs on Dec. 15, 2023. He was launched on his personal recognizance.
Subpoenas within the case yielded extra proof of public corruption. On Aug. 11, prosecutors filed an amended grievance alleging two extra counts of battle of curiosity. The grievance consists of an appendix of 39 reveals of proof of the funds and Worth’s voting historical past.
Between Oct. 22, 2019, and June 30, 2020, the Housing Authority of the Metropolis of Los Angeles allegedly paid Del Richardson & Associates roughly $609,600. Throughout this time, Worth voted to assist a $35 million federal grant and a state grant software for $252 million for the company.
Worth’s employees had flagged the merchandise of curiosity previous to the votes.
Between Oct. 27, 2020, and Oct. 20, 2021, LA Metro paid Del Richardson & Associates roughly $219,500. Throughout this time, Worth introduced and voted in favor of a movement to award $30 million to LA Metro.
Worth’s employees had flagged the battle of curiosity previous to the votes.
It’s additional alleged that Worth took benefit of his place in metropolis authorities to award metropolis lease agreements and over $2 million in federal COVID-19 grants to the nonprofit House at Final. House at Final was a paying tenant of the City Healthcare Mission on the time of the votes. Worth served as CEO of City Healthcare Mission in the course of the time of those votes. These funds had been supposed for homelessness efforts.
