Huntington Park City Hall, as well as the homes of current and former City Council members, were searched Wednesday as part of a corruption investigation dubbed “Operation Dirty Pond,” the L.A. County district attorney’s office announced. Electronics, paperwork and records were seized, the D.A. said.
The warrants were served at the homes of Mayor Karina Macias, Councilmember Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez and former members Graciela Ortiz and Marilyn Sanabria, the sister of a current council member. Huntington Park City Manager Ricardo Reyes was served with a warrant, as was the city’s public works department. Reyes, Macias and other council members could not immediately be reached for comment.
Photos posted on Facebook show police tape blocking the entrance to Huntington Park City Hall and a white van in the parking lot. The district attorney said numerous items were seized from each location including public records, financial paperwork, computers, tablets, cellphones and other forms of electronic equipment.
Prosecutors said the warrants stem from an ongoing investigation that began in November 2022. Investigators have been looking into alleged misuse of millions of dollars allocated for the construction of a regional aquatic center at Salt Lake Park, according to the statement. The city allocated more than $20 million to the project and has spent about $14 million even though nothing has been constructed yet.
“My office is committed to ensuring that public officials uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and transparency,” said L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman. “When concerns arise about the use of public funds or the actions of those in office, it is our duty to investigate thoroughly and protect the public’s trust.
A copy of a warrant reviewed by The Times suggests that investigators are looking into bribery, misappropriation of public funds, conflict of interest, money laundering and conspiracy. The warrant also suggests that the investigation is centered around Efren Martinez, a longtime consultant of the city and a controversial figure.
Martinez, who ran for state Assembly last year and lost, could not immediately be reached for comment.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers served search warrants at Martinez’s home and the office of his consulting firm, Unified Consulting Services.
Search warrants were also served at the homes and offices of Edvin Tsaturyan and Sona Vardikyan, owners of JT Construction Group Inc., the contractor selected to build the aquatic center in Huntington Park. The company did not respond to a request for comment.
A Huntington Park city employee, who could not be identified because they were not allowed to speak about the investigation, said about $9 million was paid to the construction firm and that the city was trying to determine how the money was spent. So far, the source said, the city has only accounted for $3 million.
Hochman said in his statement, “I want to commend our dedicated prosecutors and investigators for their diligent work on this complex case. Their unwavering commitment to justice ensures that no one — regardless of their position or title — is above the law.”
Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.
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