Pubdate: Tue, 31 Jul 2012 Source: Whittier Daily News (CA) Copyright: 2012 Los Angeles Newspaper Group Contact: http://www.whittierdailynews.com/writealetter Website: http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/497 Author: Sandra T. Molina FORMER SANTA FE SPRINGS COUNCILMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBERY LOS ANGELES - Former Santa Fe Springs Councilman Joseph Serrano pleaded guilty Monday to a federal bribery charge for soliciting money from an owner of a medical marijuana dispensary. "He pleaded guilty pursuant to the plea agreement he made with the U.S. Attorney a few weeks ago," Justice Department Spokesman Thom Mrozek said. Serrano, 62, will be sentenced before the same judge, Stephen V. Wilson, on Oct. 15. in U.S. District Court. Serrano admitted to soliciting $11,500 in bribes from the onetime owner of a medical marijuana dispensary, according to court documents. Serrano, whose resignation from the City Council becomes effective today, faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. Officials said they expect the prison time and fine to be reduced. At the time the bribes occurred, between October 2010 and September 2011, Serrano was serving as mayor and sitting on an ad hoc committee evaluating medical marijuana dispensaries operating in Santa Fe Springs. "(Serrano) was telling the dispensary operator that if he was paying him, (Serrano) would have his back. He would provide him with inside information and he would do his best to swing other votes," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Carter of the public corruption and civil rights section of the U.S. Attorney's Office. The dispensary owner became an FBI informant and wiretapped several conversations with Serrano at various restaurants in Santa Fe Springs and La Mirada. "I'm going to do everything I can," Serrano assured the informant during a conversation at an IHOP in La Mirada. "I will fight for you 'til the end. I'm one vote. But I have to be able to - you have to be able to trust me ... to work those other people." Because the city had no moratorium in place, the number of dispensaries grew in a very short time from less than a half-dozen to nearly 20, according to city records. Eventually, Serrano explained to the FBI informant that the "city had to 'do something' because the city has 'so many' marijuana dispensaries," according to the plea agreement. Today, there are no dispensaries operating in the city, according to Santa Fe Springs Director of Public Services Dino Torres. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt