Desert star Weekly May 20, 2016 issue

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The Coachella Valley Number ‘One’ Desert Local Newspaper

desert

STAR W E E K L Y

PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID Desert Hot Springs, CA

Captain America vs. Iron Man see page 3

PERMIT NO 00005

Friday, May 20, 2016 Vol. 9 No. 41

Beaumont Corruption Former City of Beaumont Officials Indicted in $43 Million Public Corruption Case By Carlos Herrera BEAUMONT, Ca. -Charges have been filed against seven former City of Beaumont officials, in connection with a public corruption case. Six of the seven people in the center of the investigation have been arrested and four are being held in Riverside County jails. One more remains

outstanding and is expected to surrender Wednesday. Former Beaumont City Manager Alan Kapanica, former Public Works Director Deepak Moorjani, Former City Attorney Joseph Aklufi, and former Finance Director William Aylwards are in custody, court documents said. Former Beaumont Police Chief Francis Dennis Coe Jr. was also arrested Tuesday

Story and Photos by Pat Krause The Palm Springs Walk Of Stars honored Jan and Richard Oliphant with the 395th Star on 100 S. Palm Canyon Drive. The Star Dedication was held on May 6th, and the star was placed in front of the front door of the Weldwood Murray Memorial Library. There were over 100 people attending, and a lot of those were star recipients themselves. CEO Bob Alexander named all those Previous Star honorees for all to acknowledge. Richard and Jan Oliphant are notable Humanitarians, Community Developers, Philanthropists and Major

leaders in educations. They have served this community for over five decades. Richard has a long resume of leadership, has served as Mayor of Indian Wells, City Councilman, and Vice Mayor, and was on the Planning Commission. He has an extensive career as an entrepreneur and business leader. He and Jan are big supporters of education in our Valley. Speaker and Dean of Cal State University San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus said that they were like Bookends

The Oliphant’s Star

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afternoon. Former Planning Director Ernest Alois Egger has been contacted and is expected to surrender to authorities on Wednesday, May 18. Bail has been set at $5 million for Kapanicas, Dillon, Moorjani, Egger, Aylward, and Aklufi, and Coe’s bail is set at $100,000, court documents indicated. According to documents filed at Riverside County

court. Alan Kapanicas and William Aylwardis are being charged with six counts of embezzlement, several counts of misappropriation of funds and two counts of conspiracy. The total amount of money taken in this case is alleged to be almost 43 million dollars, court documents indicate. The documents also reveal former City Planner Ernest Egger, David William

Dillon, Deepak Moorjani, and Joseph Aklufi are all being charged with five counts of embezzlement and one count of conflict of interest in public contracting. Frank Coe, Former Beaumont Police Chief, has been charged with misappropriation of funds and one count of conspiracy.

Jan and Richard Oliphant surrounded by Family and Friends Photo by Pat Krause

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