Councilwoman Charged With Perjury

A Huntington Park councilwoman was charged Monday with perjury for allegedly contending in documents that she lives there.

Linda Luz Guevara will surrender to authorities Wednesday, when she will be arraigned, said district attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.

Guevara, 46, is accused of claiming on two documents, in 1997 and 1998, that she lived in Huntington Park. Gibbons did not reveal where Guevara is believed to live nor what the documents were.

Guevara, who could face five years in prison if convicted on both counts, could not be reached for comment.

“If you’re an elected official, you’re supposed to live in the city where you’re elected. . . .,” Gibbons said. “We don’t dig up these things on our own. They come to us as complaints from citizens, officials or police.”

The district attorney’s public integrity division, a unit formed this year to address political corruption, investigated the case.

In February, the unit charged a South Gate City Council candidate with seven felony counts of perjury. Richard F. Mayer was accused of lying on official documents about living in the city to qualify for a November recall election, which he lost. He lives in Los Angeles, Gibbons said.

If convicted, Mayer could face a maximum of six years and four months in prison. Mayer has insisted that he lives in South Gate.

The public integrity division is also investigating whether another Eastside councilman falsely contended on official documents that he lived in the city. South El Monte Councilman Alan Co listed a local hotel as his address on voter registration and nomination papers.

Co’s foes have hired a private investigator to track him. Co has insisted he is a legal resident of South El Monte.