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

A former California councilman who admitted burying nearly $63,000 in cash in his backyard was sentenced Friday to 18 months in federal prison for taking bribes tied to a police-union contract and commercial marijuana permits, prosecutors said.

Ricardo Pacheco, 63, spent more than two decades on the Baldwin Park City Council before resigning in 2020 as part of his plea deal. Federal prosecutors said he used his elected office to collect cash and funnel other payments through his church and political groups.