SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A San Francisco judge on Thursday sentenced embattled former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru to seven years in prison for his involvement in a massive corruption scandal. Nuru also has to pay a $35,000 fine and forfeit his 20-acre ranch with a custom home in Stonybrook, California. The video in the player above is from a previous report.
ABC7 News I-Team reporter Dan Noyes was in court when Nuru’s sentencing was announced. Afterwards, Noyes got a chance to ask Nuru if he wanted to say anything to the people of San Francisco who feel betrayed. .
. Noyes says Nuru didn’t “like that” and moved on to hugging supporters and family in the hall. However, Nuru’s defense did release a statement which stated the former public works director apologizes to the people of San Francisco for his actions and is planning to focus on his family and health now that this case is over.
It goes on to say that Nuru hopes there will come a day when he can serve the community again and repair the damage he caused to both the city of San Francisco and his family. Stay with ABC7 News for the latest details on this developing story. This is a breaking news topper.
Original story follows below. A massive government corruption scandal in San Francisco takes one more step Thursday with the sentencing of former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru . I-Team reporter Dan Noyes has been poring over new federal court filings.
Prosecutors say Nuru’s corruption did untold damage to the public’s trust in government. We’re getting a clear picture of just how the scheme worked — how much money and how many people were involved. The scandal even reached the mayor’s office.
In the new filings in San Francisco Federal Court, prosecutors describe “a tale of greed old as time. ” Public Works Chief Mohammed Nuru accepting more than $1 million of bribes over 12 years to steer city contracts to his friends. Also charged in the case — developers, contractors, a restaurant owner, two recology executives, and Nuru’s girlfriend, the former director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services.
Aaron Peskin told the I-Team, “It is embarrassing, it is shameful. And I hope that Mr. Nuru gets the maximum sentence to send a signal that this is not tolerated in San Francisco.
” RELATED: SF Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru resigns in wake of corruption scandal Peskin has served 15 years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, several as president. He tells me the corruption scandal has had a bigger impact, beyond those criminally charged. “This has led to the resignation of the head of the Department of Building Inspection, the City Administrator, the head of the Public Utilities Commission, the head of the Department of the Environment.
So this was far reaching. ” Prosecutors say Nuru’s ranch on 20 acres in Colusa County “is truly a monument to his grifting,” that it was built and furnished by those vying for city contracts, and that bribes helped pay his mortgage. He also received a $36,000 “Rolex, luxury international vacations, envelopes of cash, and splashy holiday parties for City VIPs.
” Tony Brass served as a federal prosecutor in San Francisco. He told us, “One has to ask, how did it even happen? How could you even hope to get away with it? Were the safeguards just so lax three years ago that it allowed this to happen?” RELATED: Mohammed Nuru arrested for allegedly pulling knife on someone, trying to steal chips In the sentencing memorandums, the prosecution is asking for a 9-year prison sentence; the defense wants three years saying Nuru is at a heightened risk of COVID because of his diabetes and heart disease. Brass questions, “Is it really legitimate now to say that the COVID risk is that much worse than prison when we run a COVID risk every day even on the outside? Every time you board Muni, every time you get on BART, you’re running a COVID risk.
So, I don’t know that that argument is going to carry the day. ” As for Mayor London Breed, Nuru gave her $5,528 for car repairs and a rental car in 2019. The Ethics Commission ruled that “violated the City’s prohibition on accepting gifts from subordinate employees” and fined her 1.
5 times the cost of the gift. On Aug. 3, 2021, Breed admitted, “There were mistakes made, I take responsibility for those mistakes and I’ve learned a lot since becoming mayor and being in office.
” RELATED: Mohammed Nuru won’t face charges after allegedly pulling knife on worker, DA’s office says The Mayor’s Office confirmed Wednesday that Breed briefly dated Nuru more than 20 years ago and they remained close friends. Some context — at the time of the gift for the mayor’s car repairs, Nuru had a city salary of $278,000, compared to Breed’s $342,000. “There was a city family of you scratch my back, I’ll scratch your back.
And they treated it like a family. It was all in the family, and our existing mayor was a part of that family,” Supervisor Peskin said. The defense says Nuru expects to have to forfeit that custom-built ranch in Colusa County where he planned to retire and his city pension.
He’s been receiving more than $7,000 a month, even as this case moves forward. Take a look at more stories by the ABC7 News I-Team . If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live.
From: abc7
URL: https://abc7news.com/mohammed-nuru-prison-sentence-sf-government-bribery-scandal-corruption-charges-guilty/12166064/
