(AP) - Federal prosecutors say a former Orange County Superior Court clerk and nine others have been arrested in an alleged bribery scheme in which more than 1,000 cases were illegally fixed without knowledge of prosecutors or judges.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says the 10 were arrested Wednesday and authorities expect to have two additional defendants in custody soon.
All 12 are named in a 38-count indictment.
Prosecutors say the ex-clerk, Jose Lopez Jr., was at the center of a sophisticated bribery scheme. He is accused of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars to illegally resolve tickets for people charged with drunken driving or other traffic offenses.
People who paid the bribes were solicited directly by Lopez or by the other defendants.
Prosecutors said Lopez charged up to $8,000 per case.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today