Ex-Lodi councilman Shakir Khan to serve 2 years after plea deal on election fraud charges
Following years-long investigations into alleged illegal gambling, election fraud, and other crimes, former Lodi council member Shakir Khan will spend two years in county jail after agreeing not to contest his charges.
District Attorney Ron Freitas shared details of Khan's plea agreement on Thursday.
"Today (Khan) pled to all 77 counts charged against him," Freitas said at Superior Court in downtown Stockton. "Today is a reminder that the law will be applied fairly to everyone in San Joaquin County, no matter what your title."
Khan pleaded no contest — meaning he has agreed not to pursue a trial and to accept jail time without formally admitting guilt.
The deal occurred on the eve of Khan's day in court: trial-related proceedings in the former councilman's cases had been scheduled for Thursday, court records show.
"We were prepared to start the trial," Freitas said. "We were prepared to actually start three trials — one for the gambling, one for the EDD fraud, and one for the election fraud. (But) by him admitting to all three of them, now his guilt is no longer an issue."
Khan's 77 counts include 41 charges of illegal gambling, money laundering, tax evasion, and grand theft; 12 charges of unemployment fraud involving COVID reimbursements; and 14 election fraud charges, Freitas said.
The plea doesn't mean Khan has agreed to the facts prosecutors laid out, his attorney, Allen Sawyer, said.
"Mr. Khan has chosen to take this path as a means to an end, ensuring that he can return to his family in the shortest time possible," Sawyer said in a statement.
The cases began in September 2021 under former District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar. Shakir Khan and his brother Zakir were charged with operating illegal gambling at two Stockton businesses and laundering the profits.
The election charges, first filed in February, against Shakir included registering people who were not entitled to registration to vote and "subscription of a fictitious name" to a nomination petition, among other charges.
DA spokesperson Erin Haight said Thursday she didn't know if Zakir Khan had also pleaded no contest.
The investigations that ultimately brought Shakir Khan to court were carried out by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office's Special Services Division. The investigators included Capt. Art Harty; Lt. Andrew Theodore; and detectives Allison Barcetti, Greg DuPriest, and Rocky Bulen, Freitas said.
The DA added that the "77 counts will ensure that (Khan) can no longer ever hold office in San Joaquin County again."
A November opinion by California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that Shakir Khan may sue to remove Ramon Yepez, the councilman appointed to his seat following his arrest on election charges in February.
However, the city of Lodi maintains that Shakir Khan resigned during a jail meeting with then-mayor Mikey Hothi. Shakir Khan insists he never resigned.
The ex-councilman hasn't decided whether to continue with litigation regarding the seat, Sawyer said.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Ex-Lodi councilman Shakir Khan to serve two years after plea deal: DA
