Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez pleads not guilty to felony charges, county places him on paid administrative leave
Jesus Reyes
COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez was arraigned Thursday morning on perjury and conflict of interest charges for alleged illicit acts connected to his decisions on projects in the city, along with other matters.
A grand jury indicted Hernandez, 42, on nine criminal counts. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and is due back in court on February 23.
If convicted on all counts, Hernandez could face more than 7 years in state prison and be barred for life from holding public office, though given the mayor’s lack of prior criminal history, he’d likely only face a term of probation, according to the DA’s office.
“We recognize the serious nature of these charges and will be working with our client to resolve this matter,” reads a statement from Hernandez’s Attorney, A. Alexander Lowder.
Hernandez is also currently the chief of staff for County Supervisor Manuel Perez. Perez said in a statement on Wednesday that Hernandez has been placed on indefinite paid administrative leave from the County of Riverside. His annual salary is $182,367.
Statement from Riverside County:
In general terms, the length of an administrative leave is unknown at the time the leave begins and is determined on a case-by-case basis, dependent upon facts as they become available.
As it relates to Mr. Hernandez, please note that it is our understanding that any allegations of misconduct are not related to his role with the County of Riverside.
The DA’s office said the conflict of interest charges center on Hernandez’s vote approving a contract between the city of Coachella and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments Housing First (CVAG) program, as well as his advocacy on downtown development projects.
“The conflict-of-interest charges relate to Hernandez’s vote to approve a contract between … Coachella and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ `Housing First Program,’ as well as his votes and advocacy related to downtown Coachella development programs,” according to a District Attorney’s Office statement. “The perjury charges relate to claims made by Hernandez on his `Statement of Economic Interests’ public disclosure forms.”
Those documents fall under the designation “Form 700” by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, which says they’re necessary for the public to know “about an official’s personal financial interests, to ensure that officials are making decisions in the best interest of the public and not enhancing their personal finances.”
According to the indictment, the first alleged offense occurred in November 2021 and involved Hernandez’s efforts to direct federal American Rescue Plan Act relief funds toward a rehabilitation project involving the downtown fire station, “in which the defendant knew, or had a reason to know, he had a financial interest.”
The document leveled the same allegations regarding a January 2022 vote on the Fountainhead Plaza, a May 2022 vote on the Tripoli Mixed-Use Project, the May 2023 vote on CVAG’s Housing First Program and a July 2023 vote on Sunline Transit Agency Hub upgrades.
The perjury allegations were tied to prevarications stemming from “gross income received (from) 52280 Calle Camacho,” according to court papers. That property is a single-story house, in which the defendant was apparently invested.
The direct monetary or other potential benefits Hernandez reaped from the alleged fraudulent activity was not disclosed by prosecutors. However, his bail amount may reflect the specific sum that the D.A.’soffice believes was illegally concealed.
A total 13 people testified before the grand jury, though the dates oftheir appearances were not provided.
The D.A.’s office said a conviction on all or some of the charges would mean a prohibition from ever holding any public office statewide in the future, as well as a possible seven-year prison sentence, though given the mayor’s lack of prior criminal history, he’d likely only face a term of probation.
Hernandez pleaded not guilty to all charges and is due back in court on February 23.
Hernandez was arrested Tuesday morning by the Riverside County District Attorney’s office and was released hours later after making bail.
Hernandez has been a part of the city’s leadership for nearly 20 years. He was first elected to the city council at the age of 23 in 2006. Hernandez was elected mayor in 2012 and is currently serving his fifth term.
Statement from City of Coachella
The City is aware of allegations made regarding Coachella Mayor Steven A. Hernandez and the City’s administration is fully cooperating with authorities. There is no additional information available to share at this time.
Supervisor Perez Statement:
“The allegations against Steven Hernandez are serious, and he has been placed on indefinite administrative leave from the County of Riverside. Although we are still waiting on more details, it’s our understanding that the charges are unrelated to his role in our office.”
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.