By Stephen Witt
Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren D. Price, Jr (D-South Central Los Angeles) yesterday had two new public corruption charges filed against him after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office uncovered evidence that the city’s housing authority and LA Metro paid Price’s wife more than $800,000 total at the same time Price voted to award the agencies multimillion-dollar contracts.
“Embezzling public funds and awarding contracts for your own financial gain is the antithesis of public service,” said LA County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. “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.”
Price Jr., 74, has been the councilmember for the Ninth District since 2013. Like all other councilmembers, he is prohibited from having a financial interest associated with any project that comes before the City Council.
Price was previously charged on June 13, 2023 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, whom he falsely claimed was his wife while still legally married to Lynn Suzette Price.
Price pleaded not guilty to these charges on Dec. 15, 2023. He was released on his own recognizance.
Subpoenas in the case yielded additional evidence of public corruption. On Aug. 11, prosecutors filed an amended complaint alleging two additional counts of conflict of interest. The complaint includes an appendix of 39 exhibits of evidence of the payments and Price’s voting history.
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.
Price’s staff had flagged the item of interest prior to the votes.
Between Oct. 27, 2020, and Oct. 20, 2021, LA Metro paid Del Richardson & Associates approximately $219,500. During this time, Price brought and voted in favor of a motion to award $30 million to LA Metro.
Price’s staff had flagged the conflict of interest prior to the votes.
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.
Price’s arraignment on the amended complaint is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 14, in Department 42 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
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.
