The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) logo. seal (Department of Justice via Bay City News) Backgound (Joe Gratz via Bay City News)
SAN FRANCISCO - Another person caught up in the San Francisco Public Works bribery scandal has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit honest services mail and wire fraud, the California Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
John Francis Porter, 39, former vice president and group manager of the SF Recology Group, admitted that he participated in a scheme with another Recology executive to bribe the former head of the department of public works, Mohammed Nuru.
According to his plea agreement, Porter admitted that he conspired with another former Recology executive and others to pay bribes and influence Nuru. The bribes included $55,000 in payments for holiday parties Nuru hosted for friends, political supporters and select public works employees, from October 2017 through January 2020.
These payments were concealed as "holiday donations" to the nonprofit Lefty O'Doul's Foundation for Kids, a charity established to provide access to baseball and baseball equipment for underprivileged children. Porter admitted that he knew the funds were not being used for that purpose, but instead were made at the request of Nuru and used for his holiday parties.
Porter admitted that he did so in order to influence Nuru to exercise influence in Recology's favor, including making official decisions in his role as head of public works that would benefit Recology.
Though Porter only pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire and mail fraud, in November he was indicted with several more counts involving bribery and fraud. If he complies with the plea agreement, the additional counts will be dismissed at sentencing, the DOJ said.
Porter is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Porter is the second Recology executive to plead guilty. In July 2021, Paul Giusti, a former government and community relations manager with Recology, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bribe a local official and to commit honest services fraud, admitting to taking part in a conspiracy to bribe Nuru. He has yet to be sentenced.
Nuru was charged in 2020 with a long-running honest services fraud scheme. In January 2022, he pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud and was sentenced in August 2022 to just over 7 years in prison.
Federal agents initially arrested Nuru in January of 2020 along with Lefty O'Doul's restaurant owner Nick Bovis in an alleged attempt to bribe a San Francisco International Airport commissioner for help to obtain a restaurant concession.
Head of San Francisco Public Works, Lefty O'Doul's owner arrested on corruption charges
Federal investigators on Tuesday announced corruption charges against the SFDPW director Mohammed Nuru, nicknamed 'Mr. Clean SF'
"For at least 12 years, Nuru shook down contractors eager for City business," said U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds last August, adding that he traded his "authority and influence for millions of dollars in cash, construction work, travel, meals and gifts."
Hinds called his conduct "abhorrent" and corrupt.
Since Nuru's arrest, a dozen defendants linked to the corruption investigation have been charged in federal court, along with three corporate entities. Among those charged include former San Francisco Public Utilities Commission general manager Harlan Kelly and former Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services director Sandra Zuniga.
The list of entities involved with Nuru's grift is long:
-Walter Wong: Nuru accepted "envelopes of cash" from contractor Wong, prosecutors said, adding up to more than $260,000 in construction labor and materials provided to Nuru's San Francisco home and the Stonyford property. Wong also paid for expensive trips for Nuru all over the world with his girlfriend, former head of the Office of Neighborhood Services, Sandra Zuniga; in return, Nuru made sure Wong got lucrative city contracts.
-Nick Bovis: Restaurateur Bovis bribed Nuru "multiple" times through meals and entertainment, as well as thousands of dollars' worth of appliances for his ranch. Nuru also got kickbacks from Bovis for awarding him concession contracts.
-Florence Kong: Kong gave Nuru a Rolex watch valued at $36,550, along with cash and an iron fence which he installed at his ranch. In exchange, Nuru prioritized Kong's business interests.
-Balmore Hernandez, William Gilmartin and Alan Varela: Nuru got a brand new tractor from this trio for his now well-equipped ranch, along with meals and cash. In exchange, Nuru "exercised his official authority and influence to benefit their city business ventures."