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Former D.C. Council Chief of Staff Pleads Guilty to Accepting Illegal Gratuities and Making a False Statement

U.S. Attorney’s Office February 18, 2011
  • District of Columbia (202) 252-6933

WASHINGTON—Ted G. Loza, 45, the former chief of staff for a District of Columbia council member, pled guilty today to accepting illegal gratuities and making a false statement to the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics.

The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Loza, of Washington, D.C., entered his guilty pleas this afternoon before the Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2011. Loza faces up to 4 ½ years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $500,000. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the likely range is a term eight to 14 months of incarceration and a fine ranging from $2,000 to $20,000.

Loza was a member of the staff of council member Jim Graham and served as chief of staff from 2007 until November 2009. In connection with his guilty plea, Loza admitted that in June and July of 2009, while working as the council member’s chief of staff, he received $1,500 in cash payments from Abdul Kamus, then a representative of individuals having a financial interest in the District of Columbia taxicab industry.

These cash payments were accepted by Loza for his assistance with legislation for a hybrid vehicle exception to a moratorium on new taxicab company licenses in the District of Columbia. The legislation was introduced by Council member Graham on June 30, 2009.

Loza also admitted that in May of 2009, he submitted a false financial disclosure statement to the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics that failed to reflect gifts in excess of $100 from Kamus during 2008.

Previously, Kamus, 54, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pled guilty to charges of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with his contacts with Loza and other activities. He is awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court.

In an unrelated case involving the issuance of taxicab operator licenses, 15 people have pled guilty to charges and another 22 are awaiting trial.

“The people of the District of Columbia deserve public servants who are focused on the common good, not lining their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Today’s guilty plea is a reminder that government employees who abuse the public trust will be held accountable. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to root out public corruption and punish public officials who are more concerned about personal financial gain than serving the residents of the District of Columbia.”

“The vast majority of D.C. city government workers are honest, hardworking public servants. It is unfortunate that a few in public servant positions choose to break the law by taking illegal gratuities and lying about it,” said Assistant Director McJunkin.

In announcing today’s guilty pleas, U.S. Machen, Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin, and Chief Lanier commended the work of FBI special agents on the case, as well as MPD Sergeant Andrew Struhar, Detective Joseph Sopata, and Detective Elliott Taylor. They also acknowledged the efforts of the staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegals Jeannette Litz, Carolyn Cody, and Jared Forney, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Crabb Jr. and John Griffith, who are prosecuting the case.

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