LOS ANGELES – A career politician who held no fewer than five positions in California received a prison sentence of 3 1/2 years (42 months) Monday after he was convicted on corruption charges.
The disgraced Southland politician, Mark Ridley-Thomas, must report to prison on Nov. 13. In addition to his incarceration, he was also given a fine of $30,000 and will be on three years of supervision upon his release, KTLA reported.
Ridley-Thomas, 68, was convicted in March of seven corruption charges. Included in his offenses were bribery, fraud and conspiracy.
Marilyn Louise Flynn, the former dean of USC’s School of Social Work, and Ridley-Thomas conspired and worked together to funnel $100,000 from a campaign fund through the school and ultimately to a nonprofit run by Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, the ex-politician’s son.
Prosecutors said USC received a “lucrative county contract” in a quid pro quo and harshly criticized Ridley-Thomas.
He “defrauded the people of the county,“ U.S. Attorney Martín Estrada said, LAist reported. “Anytime a politician engages in corruption and breaches his duty of trust to the public, it is a great crime that must be brought to justice.”
Ridley-Thomas was a longtime fixture in local and state politics. He spent three terms on the Los Angeles City Council from the 8th district from 1991 to 2002, and again for the 10th district from 2020 until his expulsion from the council in 2022. He was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 2nd Supervisorial District from 2008 to 2020, a California State Senator representing the 26th district from 2006 to 2008, and was a California State Assemblyman representing the 48th district from 2002 until 2006. He was Chairman of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Flynn pleaded guilty to bribery last year and was sentenced to three years of probation.
