LOS ANGELES – Two former top city officials in Commerce and Baldwin Park have pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme involving bribes in exchange for a corrupt Baldwin Park politician’s votes and influence over his city’s cannabis permitting process.
Edgar Pascual Cisneros, 42, of Montebello, who served as Commerce’s city manager from November 2017 to December 2023, pleaded guilty on November 6, 2023, to federal bribery.
Robert Manuel Nacionales Tafoya, 62, of Redondo Beach, who served as Baldwin Park’s city attorney from December 2013 to October 2022, pleaded guilty on December 5, 2023, to federal bribery and tax evasion charges.
Federal prosecutors today unsealed the criminal charges and plea agreements, in which both Cisneros and Tafoya agreed to cooperate in ongoing public corruption investigations.
According to the plea agreements, shortly after Baldwin Park began issuing marijuana permits in June 2017, then-Baldwin Park City Councilmember Ricardo Pacheco solicited bribes from companies seeking those permits.
Cisneros helped a company obtain a marijuana permit and related approvals through approximately $45,000 in bribes and that the company promised to pay Cisneros at least $235,000 to help secure the permit.
Tafoya facilitated a bribery scheme involving former Compton City Councilmember Isaac Galvan, in which Galvan sought to obtain a marijuana permit for his consulting client also through bribes to Pacheco.
Tafoya further admitted to evading payment of approximately $650,000 in federal tax liability.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating these matters.
Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk, Michael J. Morse, and Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting these cases.
Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant/Respondent: Edgar Pascual Cisneros
Criminal Charges: Federal bribery
City and State: Commerce, California
Date: November 6, 2023
Sentence or Outcome: Pleaded guilty to federal bribery
Dollar Amounts: Approximately $45,000 in bribes and at least $235,000 to help secure the permit
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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