A federal judge has sentenced a San Luis Obispo real estate executive to five years in prison for bribing a County Supervisor.
Ryan Wright pleaded guilty in September to bribing the late supervisor Adam Hill with over $95,000 in gifts and cash. In return, Hill worked to ensure that Wright’s development projects were approved, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Ciaran McEvoy, with the US Attorney’s Office, said Wright’s sentencing should serve as a warning to elected officials.
“I think it sends a message to the public that, yes, unfortunately, there are going to be some public officials who are corrupt– who break the law that they're sworn to uphold– but there are chances, at least in this case, that one of the perpetrators at least was caught and punished and will be serving a significant prison sentence,” McEvoy said.
A restitution hearing in January will determine how much money Wright must pay the federal government in damages.
Supervisor Hill served for over a decade in the third district seat, which covers most of the City of SLO. He died by suicide in 2020.
