Mack E. Jenkins

Jenkins is the chief of the public corruption and civil rights section of the U.S. attorney's office for the Central District.

"Now more than any time in my 12-year career here, people have questions about the justice system," he said. "I hear concerns about D.C.'s intervention in cases, claims that the political parties are corrupt or that the FBI is corrupt. Everyone is under scrutiny, including law enforcement and its relationship with civil rights protesters. There remains a lot of justice to be done on those fronts."

At the end of July, an investigation by Jenkins' office resulted in a federal grand jury returning a 34-count indictment against Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar on charges that he led a criminal enterprise, using his position at City Hall to enrich himself and close associates. The counts include bribery and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty. U.S. v. Huizar, 2:20-cr-00326. (C.D. Cal., filed July 30, 2020).

Earlier, a former councilmember plus three Huizar associates pleaded guilty in the corruption probe. The charges center on real estate development activities in Huizar's downtown Los Angeles district and his command of the "CD-14 Enterprise," which allegedly promoted personal enrichment and the advancing of political goals. Huizar allegedly agreed to accept at least $1.5 million in illicit financial benefits.

Jenkins said he got wind of the matter and launched his investigation after Las Vegas casino officials spotted Huizar gambling with a wealthy associate and asked him to sign a "Politically Exposed Person" document promising that he was using his own money. Huizar did not sign and the officials tipped off the FBI. "He left chips on the table and left the casino," Jenkins said. "People rarely donate money to casinos."

At the Ramona Gardens Housing Development in Boyle Heights, eight members of the Big Hazard street gang that with ties to the Mexican Mafia agreed to firebomb African-American families on Mother's Day in 2014 in a scheme to send a message that they were unwelcome because of their race. Jenkins' investigation and prosecution ended in guilty pleas and lengthy prison terms for all, including lead defendant Carlos Hernandez. U.S. v. Hernandez, 16-cr-00442 (C.D. Cal. Filed June 22, 2016).

"As a prosecution, the case showed a strong undercurrent of racial divisiveness," Jenkins said. "But the cooperation we got from many also showed that a lot of people cared. People saw this as abhorrent and unacceptable, and I regard that as a sign that Los Angeles remains a melting pot of racial diversity and that the incident did not do significant damage to the progress we are making."

-- John Roemer