Ronald Calderon Busted: 42 Months for $150K Bribe Scheme

Former California State Senator Ronald S. Calderon, 59, of Montebello, is going to federal prison for 42 months after admitting to pocketing more than $150,000 in bribes in exchange for official acts. The sentence, handed down today by U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder in Los Angeles, marks the fall of a once-powerful legislator who traded his office for cash, favors, and a lifestyle funded by fraud.

Calderon pleaded guilty in June to one count of mail fraud through the deprivation of honest services. Court documents reveal he accepted payments from Michael Drobot, the former owner of Pacific Hospital in Long Beach, who sought to keep the so-called ‘spinal pass-through’ law intact — a statute that allowed Drobot to siphon tens of millions from a workers’ comp health care fraud scheme. Though Calderon wasn’t charged in the broader $500 million fraud, his actions directly protected Drobot’s illegal profits.

The corruption didn’t stop there. Calderon also took bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as filmmakers pushing changes to California’s Film Tax Credit program. In a brazen move, he even hired one of the agents as a legislative aide — a role used to deepen the sting. The ruse exposed Calderon negotiating favors, accepting cash, and actively working to manipulate state policy for personal gain.

His brother, Thomas M. Calderon, 62, also of Montebello, a former state assemblyman turned political consultant, was sentenced last month to 10 months in custody. He admitted to laundering bribe money through his consulting firm, acting as a financial middleman to conceal the illicit payments meant for Ronald. The brothers’ collaboration turned blood ties into a criminal pipeline.

“Former Senator Calderon repeatedly violated the trust of the voters by taking nearly $160,000 in bribes in exchange for abusing his position as an elected official,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The Calderons are now being punished for their roles in a bribery scheme that involved multiple forms of payments, as well as the attempted concealment of the scheme through money laundering and lies made to residents of his district.”

FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director Deirdre Fike called the case a triumph of persistence and innovation. “Mr. Calderon used the power of the state Senate to dole out favors in exchange for bribe payments and a flashy lifestyle, rather than governing honestly for the people of California.” IRS Criminal Investigation’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando added: “No one is above the law. Today’s sentence proves that public servants who betray their oath will be hunted down and held accountable.”