A California lawmaker called for a statewide task force to crack down on corruption in the legal cannabis market, new details are emerging in a bribery scandal that has ensnared local government officials from the Inland Empire to the San Gabriel Valley and southeast Los Angeles County. Federal prosecutors have unveiled two plea agreements that detail pay-to-play schemes involving cannabis business licensing and corroborate allegations in a Times investigation last month that examined how legalization of weed unleashed a wave of corruption across California.

In one of the agreements, former Baldwin Park City Councilmember Ricardo Pacheco admitted soliciting bribes from weed businesses — including $150,000 from a consultant working for a local cannabis distributor. The consultant declined, but at the direction of the FBI delivered campaign contributions requested by Pacheco, the agreement said. The agreement doesn't name the distributor, but its description of the dates the firm was awarded the exclusive right to distribute cannabis matches only one company, Rukli Inc .

The plea agreements announced last week allege Robert Tafoya, identified as Person 1, advised Pacheco how to set up the bribery scheme, including the use of a middle man to funnel bribes. The agreements identify Person 1 as the Baldwin Park city attorney. On Wednesday evening the Baldwin Park City Council voted unanimously to accept Tafoya's resignation as city attorney.
Garcia said. “While I’m a supporter of legal cannabis, I want to make sure it’s done in a way that’s fair and doesn’t corrode the public’s trust in our system.”