L.A. Councilman Price to be arraigned on corruption charges

Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price is set to be arraigned on corruption charges Friday.

Price, 72, faces charges of five counts of grand theft by embezzlement, three counts of perjury and two counts of conflict of interest, according to MyNewsLA.com.

“Price, a 10-year veteran of the City Council, is accused of having a financial interest in development projects that he voted on, and receiving tens of thousands of dollars in medical benefits from the city for his now wife while he was still married to another woman,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Price’s wife, Del Richardson Price, allegedly received more than $150,000 from developers of projects that the councilman later voted to approve.

In addition, while the councilman was still married to another woman, he secured more than $30,000 worth of medical coverage for Richardson Price, prosecutors allege.

If convicted, Price faces up to 10 years in prison, according to LAist.

Price is the latest Los Angeles City Council member to find himself in hot water.

Former Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was convicted of corruption charges, as was former Councilman Mitch Englander.

In addition, former Council President Nury Martinez, former Councilman Gil Cedillo and current Councilman Kevin de León were surreptitiously recorded making racist and other offensive comments, leading to Martinez’s resignation.

Cedillo’s term ended shortly after the scandal broke, while de León has refused to resign.