Santa Ana : 2 Landscapers Charged With Fraud Enter Pleas
Two Santa Ana businessmen, accused of bilking the City of San Jose in an alleged fraud, pleaded not guilty Friday at an arraignment in San Jose, a prosecutor said.
Otto Bade and Paul Sepulveda, business partners who operated Angels Comprehensive Services Inc., a landscaping firm in Santa Ana, are charged with two felony counts each for allegedly filing claims for weed-control jobs that were not performed.
Both men, who appeared in court Friday, were released on their own recognizance. A preliminary hearing was scheduled March 7, Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Adams said.
If they are found guilty, each could receive a maximum punishment of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The charges stem from a two-month investigation by the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office of an estimated $37,000 discrepancy involving $121,000 in charges the landscaping company sought from the city.
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