Official Faces Conflict Charge in Land Deal

Lancaster City Councilman Louis Bozigian was charged Tuesday with conflict of interest in connection with a vote he cast that allegedly helped net him about $150,000 in real estate fees, a Los Angeles County prosecutor said.

Bozigian, 59, who was serving as mayor of the Antelope Valley city when the vote was taken in April, 1984, was arraigned on one count of the misdemeanor criminal charge of conflict of interest. After his attorney entered an innocent plea, Bozigian was released on his own recognizance pending trial Dec. 20 in Los Angeles Municipal Court.

Neither Bozigian nor his attorney, Mark Overland, was available for comment Tuesday.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Candace Beason said Bozigian, a licensed real estate agent, voted in favor of a street grid plan that would help serve an undeveloped area of the city near the intersection of 10th Street West and Avenue K.

Bozigian allegedly was the real estate agent for a party involved in plans to develop the area and received a commission of about $150,000, Beason said. The vote, taken by City Council members in their capacity as members of the Lancaster Redevelopment Agency, was cast while the property was in escrow, she said.

Beason said the real estate deal was investigated by the Los Angeles County Grand Jury. The investigation has ended and Bozigian was the only person charged, she added.

The charge carries a possible six-month jail term and a fine of up to $10,000 or more, depending on assessment of damages if Bozigian is found guilty. He could also be barred from holding elected office in the state for the next four years.