Businessman Gets Prison Term in Bribery Scheme

A businessman who offered a $1.5-million bribe to a Carson city councilman to secure a lucrative municipal garbage-hauling contract was sentenced Friday to five months in federal prison and five months of home detention.

Michael Aloyan, owner of Hub City Disposal in Compton, was among 10 people who have pleaded guilty in a wide-ranging corruption scandal involving two former Carson mayors, two City Council members, a lawyer and several middlemen.

Aloyan made a token $10,000 payment on the bribe to former Councilman Manny Ontal but never received the contract, which instead went to Browning Ferris Industries, a national waste-hauling firm.

After being confronted by investigators, Aloyan signed a plea agreement that required him to cooperate with the government. He was hoping to receive a probationary term because of his assistance

But prosecutors balked at his sentencing hearing Friday, contending that he was not forthcoming when questioned about alleged corruption in neighboring Compton.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Thomas McConville contended that, in keeping with his plea agreement, the 44-year-old defendant should receive a 27-month prison sentence because he did provide some useful assistance in the Carson probe. He objected to any lesser penalty.

Defense attorney Edward Medvene argued that Aloyan should be treated no more severely than two former Browning Ferris employees who were sentenced to a year of probation for aiding and abetting a scheme to pay $600,000 in bribes to Carson City Council members.

U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder rejected both sides’ requests, although she ruled that Aloyan was entitled to some relief from the terms of his plea agreement to avoid a disparity with the other defendants’ sentences, and because of his charitable work in Compton.

Aloyan also was fined $75,000.