David Romero, Bribery, California 2021

Ex-Calexico Officials Sentenced to Prison for Bribery Scheme

Two former Calexico city officials have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a bribery scheme that saw them take $35,000 in cash bribes in exchange for ‘guaranteeing’ a city permit for a cannabis business.

David Romero, a former Calexico City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem, and Bruno Suarez-Soto, a former commissioner on the city’s Economic Development and Financial Advisory Commission, were each sentenced to two years in prison on May 5, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo.

According to court documents and their plea agreements, Romero and Suarez-Soto met with an undercover FBI agent three times in December 2019 and January 2020. They demanded a $35,000 bribe at their first meeting on December 19, 2019, in return for ‘guaranteeing’ a city permit for the cannabis business.

At the second meeting, on January 9, 2020, Suarez-Soto told the undercover agent that having Romero on board would help the agent cut through the ‘bullshit [red] tape’ at City Hall. When the undercover agent sought to clarify what would happen with his application, Romero stated he could revoke permits from other applicants if he wanted, to ensure that the undercover agent’s submission would succeed.

Romero and Suarez-Soto previously pleaded guilty on June 11, 2020, to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. Both men resigned their positions with the City in June 2020 as part of their plea agreements.

Public office is a public trust, and anyone who violates that trust by selling the government’s business to satisfy their own greed should face a reckoning, said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. The FBI remains committed to investigating all levels of public corruption, including those engaged in pay-to-play and bribery schemes.

Defendant: David Romero

Criminal Charge: Conspiracy to commit federal program bribery

City and State: Calexico, California

Exact Date: May 5, 2021 (sentencing)

Sentence or Outcome: Two years in prison

Dollar Amounts: $35,000 in cash bribes

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