Former Bell City Manager Indicted on New Charges

Seven new felony counts are filed against Robert Rizzo and his assistant

A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo and his assistant on new allegations.

The indictment against Robert Rizzo and Angela Spaccia was unsealed Wednesday. The case involves new charges of misappropriating public funds, conflict of interest, falsifying public  documents and secreting public documents.

The indictment alleges that Spaccia drafted employment contracts for herself and Rizzo that gave them both significant pay raises without the City  Council's approval. Rizzo ordered the creation of false contracts  dividing his salary into five parts to make it look like his salary was "much  smaller than it was," according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges that Rizzo and Spaccia falsified documents  purporting to be contracts for former police Chief Randy Adams and hid  documents indicating that he was being paid nearly $10,000 more per pay period.

Rizzo, Spaccia, Mayor Oscar  Hernandez, council members Teresa Jacobo, George Mirabal and Luis Artiga and  former council members Victor Bello and George Cole were charged last September in a case accusing them of  bilking taxpayers out of roughly $5.5 million through lofty salaries, benefits  and illicit loans of public money.  Rizzo and other top city officials stepped down last July after the  scandal over their hefty salaries were reported by the LA Times.

Artiga resigned shortly after the criminal charges were filed. Hernandez, Mirabal and Jacobo were recalled from office earlier this month.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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