$500 million cover-up exposed in Mohave County, costing $1 million per year in lost tax revenue. Supervisors, county employees and Santa Fe Ranch Property Owners Association implicated in scandal.
YUCCA, Ariz., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Disturbing revelations have emerged involving widespread corruption in Mohave County, prompting the filing of criminal complaints against all five Mohave County Supervisors, county staff, county attorneys and the Santa Fe Ranch Property Owners Association. The complaints implicate these officials in a $500 million cover-up at Santa Fe Ranch, a development four times larger than Lake Havasu City, resulting in an annual loss of $1 million in tax revenue and contributing significantly to a county-wide deficit exceeding $18 million.
Key points outlined in the criminal complaints include:
- Government Misconduct: Allegations range from vote rigging and perjury of the public record to constitutional violations and breaches of duty. Mohave County staff are accused of falsifying documents and making false statements, while conspiring to obstruct justice, resulting in a government operating outside the bounds of recognized law and Arizona statutes. State intervention is sought to address these abuses and uphold justice for affected residents.
- Economic Destruction: The Santa Fe Ranch Property Owners Association's alleged low/no growth agenda has reportedly defrauded and disenfranchised thousands of property owners. Property values remain $250 million dollars below 2008 levels, with a paltry annual growth rate of only 0.2% over 25 years. Modest growth rates of 1.2% and 2.2% could have potentially added hundreds of homes and half a billion dollars in economic activity. Yucca, Arizona has suffered a 25% population decline from 2010 to 2020.
- Retaliation and Corruption: Whistleblower Ben Peterson faced retaliation including vote rigging to deny his zoning application and racketeering through fraudulent fees by the Association, encumbering his property under false levy for two years. County officials withheld notice to Peterson's application in apparent coordination with the Santa Fe Ranch Property Owners Association's efforts. The Association appears to be engaging in mail fraud to influence it's own member elections. Attempts to resolve these issues have largely been ignored, indicating a systematic effort to suppress dissent and cover up malfeasance.
- Conflicts of Interest: Concerns about conflicts of interest involving POA officials, county staff, and their families have been raised, including improper pecuniary interests and allegations of mail fraud related to federal grant applications. These allegations highlight a pattern of misconduct demanding immediate investigation.
- Gross Negligence and Tragedy: The negligence of the Santa Fe Ranch POA allegedly led to the death of John Sanchez, whose ambulance was stuck in the sand due to negligent road grading in FEMA flood zones from 2009 to 2021. His widow's desperate attempts to keep him alive with CPR were unsuccessful. Despite knowledge of these practices, Mohave County officials purportedly failed to intervene, resulting in tragic consequences.
"The community deserves transparency and accountability, not a cover-up that has cost us dearly in economic potential, personal freedom and, tragically, in human life," said Ben Peterson, the courageous individual behind these disclosures. "At the same time vote rigging was happening in Mohave County, Supervisor Gould was accusing Governor Hobbs of vote rigging in the 2022 election. It's utter hypocrisy."
Santa Fe Ranch residents and concerned citizens are urged to seek justice and demand accountability from their elected officials and POA leadership.
The criminal complaints call on Arizona state authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and implement measures to prevent further harm to the community and restore trust in local governance.
Media Contact
Benjamin Peterson, Mohave County Oversight Commission, 1 206-579-8012, [email protected]
SOURCE Mohave County Oversight Commission
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