FirstAlerts

Six Sentenced in Los Angeles Marijuana Corruption Scheme

Federal sentences were handed down in a bribery case involving a former LA city official and others.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 28, 2026, 4:38 p.m. ETWritten Aug 29, 2026, 4:52 a.m. ET
Developing · checked 1h ago

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 29, 2026, 5:09 a.m. ET — checked 1h ago.

Six people have been in connection with a marijuana-related corruption scheme in Los Angeles, according to a report by LA Magazine. The sentences were handed down after an FBI investigation. Ricardo Pacheco was to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $220,000. Gabriel Chavez received six months of home detention and three years of probation. Yichang Bai was to 20 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and a $3,000 fine. Edgar Pascual Cisneros received two years of probation. Isaac Galvan was to 18 months and owes more than $320,000. The scheme involved Pacheco accepting bribes to vote for permits and contracts, and acting as an informant. Chavez collected payments from marijuana businesses and gave Pacheco a cut. Tafoya helped funnel money and create documents. Bai paid bribes, Cisneros gave Pacheco money for a permit, and Galvan facilitated bribes, according to LA Magazine.

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  1. Version 129 Aug 2026, 08:52current

    First published.

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