Parking Company Co-Owner Pleads Guilty to Bribing Former Indian Tribe Chairman to Secure Valet Contract

FBI Los Angeles Office
March 7, 2011

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California

LOS ANGELES—A Diamond Bar man pleaded guilty today to paying $50,000 in bribes to the former chairman of the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians to secure a contract to operate the valet parking concession at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto.

Abbas Shilleh, 47, who along with two family members is the owner of California Parking Services, pleaded guilty to one count of paying a bribe.

Shilleh admitted that he paid the bribes to Robert Salgado Sr., the former chairman of the Soboba Band. During today’s appearance in United States District Court, Shilleh admitted that he paid Salgado a total of $50,000 in the form of three checks over a two-week period in late 2006 and early 2007. California Parking Services received a contract in March 2007 from the Soboba Band to provide valet parking services at the Soboba Casino.

Shilleh is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Dean D. Pregerson on June 6, at which time the defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. In a plea agreement filed in federal court, prosecutors and Shilleh have asked Judge Pregerson to impose a sentence of three years of probation, to include eight months of home detention, 500 hours of community service, and a $100,000 fine.

Salgado pleaded guilty to bribery and tax charges last October (see: http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/pressroom/pr2010/142.html), and he is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Pregerson on March 21.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS - Criminal Investigation.