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Indictment a Reprisal for Changing Plea, Moore Says

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Patricia Moore, the former Compton City Council member who was indicted on 23 counts of extortion, said Friday that the charges against her were nothing more than a reprisal by the federal government for her withdrawal of an earlier guilty plea.

Also, the owner of a company named as having paid Moore extortion money denied any knowledge of a government investigation or any payoffs to the former councilwoman.

Moore, who was in Washington on Thursday when the indictments were returned, said she had been waiting for the charges to be filed because the U.S. attorney’s office had warned her that she could expect them. Late last year she pleaded guilty to one count of extortion and one count of failing to file income taxes, but then changed her plea to not guilty in April.

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“Assistant U.S. Atty. John Potter threatened that he would do this to me when I indicated I was going to change my guilty plea,” Moore said. “I am confident that when a jury of my peers is presented with both sides of this matter that I will be exonerated on all counts.”

Moore was charged in the wake of a federal government investigation into corruption within the Compton city government. Also charged with extortion is Rep. Walter Tucker III (D-Compton), who was mayor of Compton when the investigation took place. His trial is set to begin Sept. 12.

The indictment Thursday alleged that Moore received more than $12,000 from Compton Entertainment Inc. in exchange for help in gaining approval for the construction of a card club.

Ruben Kandellian, president of the company, denied any knowledge Friday of extortion in the case.

“He was not responsible for any payments of any kind in connection with the card club,” said Kandellian’s lawyer, Ed Medvene. “He had no knowledge of any payments of any kind. He first found out very recently about the allegations there were any extortion payments.”

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