Three former executives of a San Francisco construction planning and design firm have been charged with bribery in a scandal involving employees of the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI). The executives, Siavash Sia Tahbazof, Reza Khoshnevisan, and Bahman Ghassemzadeh, are accused of paying bribes to DBI employees in exchange for expediting and approving building permits and inspections.
According to the charges, Tahbazof allegedly conspired with former DBI employees Cyril Yu, Rodolfo Rudy Pada, and Bernard Curran to bribe city officials beginning in 2003. Khoshnevisan is accused of conspiring with Pada and Yu for the same purpose starting in 2012. Ghassemzadeh allegedly joined the conspiracy in 2014 and bribed Pada, Yu, and Curran in order to expedite permits and inspections.
The San Francisco DBI is responsible for enforcing building, electrical, plumbing, and housing codes for the city’s commercial and residential buildings. Contractors and builders submit construction plans to DBI for approval and permitting, ensuring compliance with city regulations.
The charges against the former executives include conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. If convicted, each defendant faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. However, these are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Cyril Yu and Rodolfo Rudy Pada have already been separately charged with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. The charges against them allege that Pada accepted bribes for expediting and approving permits, while Yu is accused of accepting bribes for approving construction and building plans.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Casey Boome and is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
While this scandal raises concerns about corruption within the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, it is important to note that these are allegations and the defendants have yet to be proven guilty. The legal process will determine their guilt or innocence.
