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Jury Finds Councilmen Guilty Of Corruption
Men Face Up To 3-4 Years In Prison
POSTED: 10:30 am PDT July 18, 2005
UPDATED: 1:09 pm PDT July 18, 2005

SAN DIEGO -- On the fourth day of deliberations, a federal jury found two San Diego city councilmen guilty of corruption charges Monday.

The jury began deliberating charges against the defendants Wednesday after a three-month trial. Prosecutors accused interim Mayor Michael Zucchet and Councilman Ralph Inzunza of taking money from Las Vegas club owner Michael Galardi in an illegal scheme to repeal San Diego's ban on touching dancers at strip clubs. Lobbyist Lance Malone, a former Clark County, Nev., commissioner, was accused of being a bagman for strip-club owner Michael Galardi. David Cowan, an aide to the late Councilman Charles Lewis, was charged with lying to investigators.
Zucchet and Inzunza each faced 36 counts of wire fraud, extortion and conspiracy. Zucchet was found guilty of five counts of wire fraud, and Inzunza was found guilty of nine counts of wire fraud. They were also both found guilty of extortion and conspiracy.

Malone was found guilty of 37 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. Cowan was found not guilty.
Zucchet, 35, took over this weekend as interim mayor, a post he will almost certainly have to relinquish now that he has been convicted of felony charges. San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy stepped down Friday amid a widening federal investigation into the handling of the city's deficit-riddled pension fund. It is unclear who will succeed Zucchet.

Each man could face three to four years in prison.

Zucchet and Inzunza, both 35, were accused of taking $34,500 in cash bribes and campaign contributions from Galardi in a failed plot to repeal the city's "no-touch" ordinance. Malone allegedly delivered cash from Galardi to Inzunza and Zucchet.

Inzunza, Zucchet and Malone are all due back in court for sentencing on Nov. 9.
Previous Stories: Click here for more stories about the City Hall strip-club trial.
Copyright 2005 by NBCSandiego.com.
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