{"id":6410,"date":"2026-08-05T18:39:47","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T18:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6410"},"modified":"2026-08-05T18:39:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T18:39:47","slug":"ex-antioch-mayor-says-federal-prosecutors-plan-to-indict-him-on-criminal-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6410","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Antioch mayor says federal prosecutors plan to indict him on criminal charges"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>ANTIOCH \u2014 In the latest law enforcement operation targeting an East Bay politician, former Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe has revealed the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking an indictment against him.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6408\">Google AI leader leaves, Demis Hassabis to be chair in seismic moves<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In a video statement forwarded to this news organization, Hernandez-Thorpe painted the federal law enforcement action as politically motivated, saying he learned recently the \u201cTrump Justice Department\u201d is planning to indict him. The three-and-a-half minute statement does not address the allegations directly, but Hernandez-Thorpe says he and his lawyer have provided \u201crequested documents\u201d that relate to the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor nearly six years, I have lived under the weight of political attacks and relentless public scrutiny,\u201d Hernandez-Thorpe said, adding he learned of the law enforcement action while on a trip visiting colleges with his daughter.<\/p>\n<p><iframe allow=\"geolocation\" allowfullscreen=\"yes\" allowtransparency=\"1\" class=\"iframe\" height=\"500px\" id=\"6a738362907d8\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1215866133?h=2c45ab920a\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur justice system affords everyone under the law due process, not through speculation or public opinion,\u201d Hernandez-Thorpe said. \u201cWhatever happens next, I will face it with the same determination that has guided me throughout my life, from serving in the United States Navy from serving as your mayor, to now being the father of my children, who now deserve a present father during the most important times of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Attorney\u2019s office for the Northern California district didn\u2019t immediately respond to inquiries about Hernandez-Thorpe\u2019s statement. Thus far, no criminal charges have been filed, according to court records.<\/p>\n<p>The city\u2019s current mayor, Ron Bernal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Bernal defeated Thorpe in 2024 with about 63 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n<p>News of an investigation into Hernandez-Thorpe comes amid a series of federal investigations into East Bay politicians, resulting in indictments against Oakland ex-Mayor Sheng Thao, ousted through a 2024 recall effort, as well as bribery charges against DeNova Homes owners on alleging they attempted to pay off an Antioch councilman. There have also been FBI raids against Contra Costa\u2019s most prolific campaign manager and both the county\u2019s outgoing and incoming tax assessors, for reasons federal authorities have yet to disclose.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6406\">Court says fishermen\u2019s claim in lobster defamation suit against Monterey Bay Aquarium raises First Amendment questions<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hernandez-Thorpe served as mayor of Antioch from 2020-2024 and decisively lost his campaign for re-election. He first entered local politics 12 years ago with a failed 2014 run for city council. His mayoral tenure was not without controversy, especially in 2022 \u2014 from allegations of sexual harassment that led to calls for his resignation, to a DUI arrest that resulted in no-contest pleas on misdemeanor charges and a public apology from Hernandez-Thorpe.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Hernandez-Thorpe was also punched in the chest by an attendee at a public luncheon event that year. In 2024, he and other city leaders were accused of violating the Brown Act open-meeting law, but a grand jury and federal prosecutors determined they couldn\u2019t prove a violation had occurred.<\/p>\n<p>He presided over a tumultuous time in Antioch\u2019s history, which included a federal investigation that resulted in Antioch police officers going to prison for violating the civil rights of citizens. All told, 14 ex-Antioch and Pittsburg cops were convicted of at least one crime, ranging from bribery and fraud to violence against citizens.<\/p>\n<p>During that time, officers\u2019 racist, homophobic and sexist text message threads were leaked to the public, including an officer offering a steak dinner to anyone who shot Hernandez-Thorpe \u2014 who is Black \u2014 with a less-lethal round launcher. In his video statement, Hernandez-Thorpe highlighted that time as mayor, saying he tried to \u201creform\u201d the police department and led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s also only the latest California politician to accuse the U.S. Justice Department of political bias under the Trump Administration. Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he learned his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, had come under investigation for alleged financial crimes and called it a \u201cpolitical with hunt.\u201d Newsom has also denied that a former staffer who pleaded guilty to bank fraud, Dana Williamson, assisted federal authorities in the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6404\">49ers injury update: Journeymen added at defensive end, wide receiver<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Check back for updates.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe painted himself as a victim of the Trump Justice Department, implying the looming indictment is politically motivated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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