DC Councilman Jim Graham’s Chief Of Staff Arrested

VIA MYFOXDC:

WASHINGTON – Ted Loza, the chief of staff for Ward One D.C. Councilman Jim Graham, has been arrested and indicted on bribery charges for promoting taxicab legislation in exchange for cash.

The indictment unsealed Thursday in federal court says Loza took bribes from an unidentified person in the taxicab industry. According to court papers, that person provided “cash, the use of vehicles and trips.”

In exchange, Loza agreed to help promote a limit on the number of D.C. taxicab licenses. Later, the person sought an exception for hybrid taxi cab vehicles.

Graham is chairman of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation with oversight of the D.C. Taxicab Commission.

Loza, 44, faced a judge around 6 p.m. Thursday.

He is accused of taking at least $1,500 in cash in exchange for influencing taxi cab legislation. All of it was caught on tape by the FBI, according to court documents.

According to the indictment, Loza took the money from a person described in the indictment as someone involved in “long standing and corrupt efforts to limit the number of taxi cab licenses and to create an exemption to that limitation.”

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