Former California city official pleads guilty to federal charges

The former city manager for the scandal-plagued California city of Bell has agreed to plead guilty to federal conspiracy and tax charges, prosecutors announced on Thursday. Robert Rizzo, who came to embody pervasive corruption in Bell when it was revealed in 2010 that he was making a salary of almost $800,000, now faces a maximum of eight years in prison. Rizzo, 59, admitted that he created a corporation to fraudulently claim losses on his income tax return, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said in a press release. The fraud allowed the Torrance, California resident to reduce his tax liability on his income from Bell.

http://news.yahoo.com/former-california-city-official-pleads-guilty-federal-charges-010947842--finance.html