| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10, 2008 WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/CAN |
SAN FRANCISCO – United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced that former City Supervisor Edmund Jew pleaded guilty today to federal public-corruption charges in connection with his scheme to solicit cash bribes from a chain of tapioca drink shops facing licensing issues with the San Francisco city government.
“Today, an elected representative of city government admitted that he corrupted the office to which voters elected him,” U.S. Attorney Russoniello said. “This prosecution demonstrates that elected officials who use their offices for their own personal financial benefit, rather than for the benefit of the public trust that placed them there, will be held accountable for their actions.”
“When public servants use their office and influence for personal gain, they betray their duty to the public that elected them,” said Charlene B. Thornton, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI’s San Francisco Division. “It is a victory for our community when an elected official admits, in an open courtroom, to illicit and corrupt deeds done behind closed doors. Today’s guilty plea illustrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating and deterring public corruption at all levels.”
Mr. Jew, 48, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2007, on charges of mail fraud, bribery, and extortion, in connection with allegations that he solicited cash bribes from various San Francisco franchises of the Quickly chain, which sells milk tea and tapioca beverages. There was no plea agreement between Mr. Jew and the government, and Mr. Jew entered today an “open” plea to one count each of mail fraud, bribery, and extortion.
Mr. Jew admitted today in open court that between February 2007 and May 2007, “I knowingly asked for and accepted cash from owners of the Quickly store located within my district, in exchange for representations that I would assist them with Notices of Violations issued by the San Francisco Planning Department for being in violation of the Formula Retail Ordinance.”
Mr. Jew further admitted today: “I used my official title as a representative on the Board of Supervisors to improperly induce and obtain this money.” Mr. Jew admitted that he accepted cash from Quickly representatives, “intending to be influenced in connection with my job as a supervisor on the Board of Supervisors for the City and County of San Francisco.”
According to the indictment, Mr. Jew referred the Quickly franchises to the San Francisco Planning Department, in an effort to assist the owner of a rival tapioca-drink shop. Mr. Jew then met with Quickly representatives, the indictment alleges, and informed them that they were in violation of San Francisco’s Formula Retail Ordinance.
The indictment charged that Mr. Jew asked the Quickly representatives to pay $80,000 in cash in exchange for Mr. Jew’s agreement to exert influence, in his official capacity, on the San Francisco Planning Department and the San Francisco Planning Commission in connection with their consideration of the Quickly franchises’ application for a permit under the Formula Retail Ordinance.
Residents of the Sunset District in San Francisco elected Mr. Jew to the Board of Supervisors on November 7, 2006, and Mr. Jew was sworn into office on December 5, 2006. Mr. Jew resigned his seat on the Board of Supervisors on January 10, 2008.
Mr. Jew pleaded guilty to a total of three federal criminal violations, including the following:
The maximum statutory penalty for mail fraud and extortion under color of official right is 20 years’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release. The maximum statutory penalty for bribery is 10 years’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Mr. Jew is scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Judge Susan Illston on February 13, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. in San Francisco.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Li-Ming Wang and Tracie L. Brown are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Rayneisha Booth, Wilson Wong, and Helen Yee. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Special Agents J. Christopher McDonough and Katherine Russell.
Further Information:
Case #: CR 07–0705 SI
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