Ex-Labor Inspector Pleads Guilty to Bribery Charges

A former state labor inspector has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he shook down Korean sewing contractors in the garment district for $45,000, the U.S. attorney’s office announced.

Howard Hernandez, 48, admitted Tuesday to taking the bribes for helping garment manufacturers avoid more than $283,000 in fines over a six-year period.

The Montebello resident will be sentenced Jan. 24 for conspiracy, extortion and tax fraud. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 68 years and fines of up to $1.1 million.

Hernandez was accused of extorting payoffs from the contractors in return for dismissing or reducing fines, alerting garment manufacturers to surprise inspections, and ignoring abuses ranging from workplace safety to child labor violations.

“When a state employee entrusted with enforcing important workplace laws and regulations violates that trust, strong sanctions must be taken,” California Labor Commissioner Marcy Saunders said about the plea. “We will not tolerate this type of illegal activity, and we will continue to review existing procedures to ensure this never happens again.”

Hernandez, a state employee for 17 years, was arrested in September 1997 in a sting operation conducted by the California attorney general’s office. Law enforcement officials were tipped off to Hernandez’s activities by a Korean garment maker from whom the inspector demanded $8,000 in extortion money, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Hernandez’s admitted bagman, Edwin Kim, 43, has pleaded guilty to helping Hernandez arrange payoffs. Five Korean sewing contractors have pleaded guilty to charges that they bribed Hernandez.

All will be sentenced along with Hernandez in January by Federal Judge Howard A. Matz.