LA Councilman Curren Price Enters Plea of Not Guilty to Corruption Charges

Los Angeles Councilmember Curren Price Pleads Not Guilty to Corruption Charges

Los Angeles Councilmember Curren Price entered a not guilty plea on Friday to multiple charges of corruption, including embezzlement and conflict of interest. The veteran councilman, who has represented City District 9 in South Los Angeles, appeared in a downtown courtroom dressed in a gray suit.

Price faces serious allegations related to his conduct in office. Specifically, he is accused of voting to allocate millions in grants to a real estate consulting firm owned by his current wife, Delbra Pettice Richardson. Additionally, he allegedly arranged for the city to cover medical benefits for Richardson while still married to another woman.

Despite the emergence of these allegations earlier this year, Price has chosen not to resign from his post. He is set to complete his current term, which ends in 2026.

A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for June 5. If convicted on all charges, Price could face a sentence of up to 11 years and four months, which includes the possibility of nine years and four months in state prison, along with up to two years in county jail, as detailed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.