Ex-construction boss pleads guilty to bribery at Camp Pendleton
SAN DIEGO -- A former civilian supervisor on construction projects at Camp Pendleton pleaded guilty Tuesday to a bribery scheme to extort money from contractors doing work on the sprawling base.
Natividad Lara Cervantes, 65, pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy to bribe public officials.
Cervantes was arrested last year in an FBI sting after accepting $10,000 as a down payment on a $40,000 bribe in exchange for helping a contractor receive a $4-million flooring contract at the base, according to court documents.
Cervantes, a supervisor for construction and service contracts in the inspection branch, used his position to “extort bribes from businesses seeking to do business” at the base and referred to himself as the “Godfather at Camp Pendleton,” the FBI said.
The bribes stretch back to September 2008, the FBI said, with Cervantes receiving thousands of dollars in cash and remodeling work on his San Diego condominium.
Sentencing is set for April 18 in federal court.
Twitter: @LATsandiego
tony.perry@latimes.com
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