LA councilmember Curren Price facing additional corruption charges

Curren Price facing additional charges

Prosecutors have filed two new public corruption charges against Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price.

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price is facing additional corruption charges after evidence uncovered that the city’s housing authority and LA Metro paid Price’s wife more than $800,000.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that two new public corruption charges were filed. 

The backstory:

On June 13, 2023, Price was charged with five felony counts of embezzlement of government funds, three felony counts of perjury and two felony counts of conflict of interest.

The 10 felony counts allege that Del Richardson & Associates, a company owned solely by Price’s wife, Delbra Pettice Richardson, received payments totaling more than $150,000 between 2019 and 2021 from developers before he voted to approve projects.

Price is also accused of embezzling approximately $33,800 in city funds from 2013-2017 to pay for medical benefits for Richardson, who he falsely claimed was his wife while still legally married to Lynn Suzette Price.

Price pleaded not guilty to those charges on Dec. 15, 2023 and was released.

New evidence found 

Dig deeper:

According to the DA's office, subpoenas in the case helped uncover additional evidence of public corruption. On Aug. 11, prosecutors filed an amended complaint alleging two additional counts of conflict of interest. 

Between Oct. 22, 2019, and June 30, 2020, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles allegedly paid Del Richardson & Associates approximately $609,600. During this time, Price voted to support a $35 million federal grant and a state grant application for $252 million for the agency, a statement from the DA's Office said. Price’s staff had flagged the item of interest prior to the votes.

Then, between Oct. 27, 2020, and Oct. 20, 2021, LA Metro paid Del Richardson & Associates approximately $219,500. During that time, Price voted in favor of a motion to award $30 million to LA Metro. Price’s staff had also flagged that as a conflict of interest prior to the vote.

"It is further alleged that Price took advantage of his position in city government to award city lease agreements and over $2 million in federal COVID-19 grants to the nonprofit Home at Last. Home at Last was a paying tenant of the Urban Healthcare Project at the time of the votes. Price served as CEO of Urban Healthcare Project during the time of these votes. These funds were intended for homelessness efforts," the DA's statement read. 

What they're saying:

 "Our communities expect and deserve better from their public officials. I thank our investigative team and prosecutors in the Public Integrity Division for diligently pursuing every lead and holding elected officials accountable. Self-dealing and pay-to-play politics will not be tolerated in Los Angeles County," DA Nathan Hochman stated. 

What's next:

If convicted as charged, Price faces a maximum sentence of 11 years and four months in custody, including up to nine years and four months in state prison and up to two years in county jail.

Price has been a councilmember for the Ninth District since 2013.