STAFF REPORTS
Los Angeles – The former mayor of the City of Rosemead, John Tran, was sentenced on Mon., July 21, to 21 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted witness tampering and making false statements to FBI agents conducting a corruption investigation. He struck a plea with the DA and avoided the bribery charges. 
The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Tran plead guilty late last year to the witness tampering and false statement charges. In a plea agreement filed in United States District Court, Tran acknowledged that he received approximately $38,000 in payments from a developer in exchange for Tran’s promise to help her obtain permits for a project.
The witness tampering resulted from Tran asking the developer to lie to a federal grand jury by denying that he had recently met with Tran or paid Tran any money.
Tran made false statements to the FBI in 2011 when special agents went to his home to conduct an interview and Tran denied receiving anything but campaign contributions from the developer.
Tran was elected to the Rosemead City Council in 2005 and was mayor of Rosemead from 2007 to 2009. He was also a Garvey School Board member prior to winning a council seat in 2005.
In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered Tran to pay $38,000 in restitution, most of which has already been recovered by the FBI.
The case against Tran was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
