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Building Permit Scandal Rocks San Francisco
A federal complaint has been filed against two former San Francisco officials, charging them with honest services wire fraud in a building-permit bribery scheme.
Former San Francisco senior building inspector Bernard Curran, 60, and former San Francisco Building Inspection Commission President Rodrigo Santos, 63, were charged in a federal complaint filed today.
According to the complaint, Curran and Santos engaged in a scheme to obtain building permits from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) in exchange for charitable donations to a local non-profit athletic organization favored by Curran.
The complaint alleges that Santos requested his clients to make donations to the athletic organization, which were made in the amounts of $500 to $1,500 on numerous occasions. Curran allegedly knew about these donations and understood that they were made in furtherance of the permit-approval scheme.
In exchange for these donations, Curran allegedly provided Santos’ clients with favorable official treatment, including issuing final approvals for work that was not completed.
The complaint also alleges that most of the permits that Curran approved for Santos’ clients were on properties outside of Curran’s DBI-assigned district and were the responsibility of other inspectors.
Both Curran and Santos face a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the crime.
The charges contained in a criminal complaint merely allege that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Boome is prosecuting the case with the assistance of legal assistants Ralph Banchstubbs and Kathy Tat.
The case is ongoing, and the initial federal court appearances for Santos and Curran have not yet been scheduled.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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