Former California councilman's corruption unmasked after FBI finds cash buried in backyard

Former California councilmen Ricardo Pacheco and Isaac Jacob Galvan received eighteen-month federal prison sentences following convictions in a sweeping municipal corruption probe. Federal prosecutors revealed that Pacheco accepted bribes tied to a police union contract and commercial marijuana permits, admitting he buried nearly sixty-three thousand dollars in cash within his backyard. The Department of Justice stated that Pacheco and Galvan executed corrupt acts while holding elected office, utilizing political action committees, religious organizations, and third-party checks to obscure illicit payments. The investigation originated when an undercover police officer supplied evidence of a pay-to-play scheme involving municipal contracts in Baldwin Park. Subsequent cooperation from Pacheco expanded the federal inquiry, resulting in multiple indictments across local Southern California governments. Both former officials were ordered to pay significant financial restitution and fines as the federal judiciary finalized judgments on the widespread public corruption ring.