LawFuel – Legal Announcements – A Los Angeles man who worked at the Los Angeles Air Force base has been arrested on federal bribery charges for soliciting and receiving kickbacks from a contractor to whom he steered work.
Alejandro Rivera, 38, of the Westchester district of Los Angeles, was arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly receiving a kickback of $15,766 from a man who received contracts for work at the Air Force base hospital. Rivera was arrested on charges of solicitation and receipt of bribes and mail fraud, charges that carry a maximum statutory sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
Rivera allegedly received kickbacks from an FBI source on three occasions. In addition to the money allegedly paid this week, the source first paid Rivera a kickback of $15,680 in May, after which Rivera counted the money while sitting in the front passenger seat of the source’s vehicle, according to the complaint affidavit. Additionally, Rivera allegedly accepted two $6,000 payments in August.
The alleged payments were made after Rivera awarded plumbing, construction and painting contracts at the hospital to the source.
Rivera is expected to make his initial court appearance in United States District Court in Los Angeles this afternoon.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
CONTACT: Assistant United States Attorney Christine M. Adams
Major Frauds Section
(213) 894-8692
