Ex-Councilman Receives Prison Term for Fraud
A former East Palo Alto city councilman who pleaded guilty in May to influence peddling, tax evasion and mail fraud charges has been sentenced to 27 months in prison.
R.B. Jones pleaded guilty to soliciting and accepting $5,000 from California Water Services Co. in 1999 to influence other council members to approve a water district contract. And he admitted to a tax-evasion charge for not reporting the money on his tax return.
Jones also was accused of netting $1,700 in a minority contracting scheme in which money was funneled through the mail for work that was not performed.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
