Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Former SDPD detective wanted Chief Lansdowne out

Cop took part in scheme to funnel illegal campaign contributions

SDPD police chief William Lansdowne
SDPD police chief William Lansdowne

Ravneet Singh, head of a Washington DC political firm, was arraigned today (January 21) on charges that he conspired to steer illegal foreign money into San Diego political campaigns. Also charged was retired San Diego police detective Ernesto Encinas, who allegedly worked with Singh.

Together, they funneled more than $500,000 of illegal foreign money into San Diego municipal and federal campaigns, primarily in 2012 and 2013, according to the charges.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Singh heads a company named ElectionMall, Inc., and Encinas was owner of a private security firm. According to the complaint, Encinas wanted the next mayor to fire police chief William Lansdowne and replace him with a person of Encinas's choosing.

Among the campaigns in which illegal foreign money was funneled were the 2012 San Diego mayoral campaign, a 2012 congressional campaign, and the 2013 special mayoral election.

Under United States law, foreign nationals are prohibited from making contributions in American elections. According to the complaint, Encinas helped disguise the contributions through use of shell companies. The unidentified donor is a resident of Mexico. A so-called "straw donor," owner of a California company and a friend of the foreign national, assisted in the illegal donations.

Mike Lipman, attorney for Singh, said his client "denies any involvement or improper or illegal activity and intends to vigorously defend himself against the unfounded charges."

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Didja know I did the first American feature on Jimi Hendrix?

Richard Meltzer goes through the Germs, Blue Oyster Cult, Ray Charles, Elvis, Lavender Hill Mob
SDPD police chief William Lansdowne
SDPD police chief William Lansdowne

Ravneet Singh, head of a Washington DC political firm, was arraigned today (January 21) on charges that he conspired to steer illegal foreign money into San Diego political campaigns. Also charged was retired San Diego police detective Ernesto Encinas, who allegedly worked with Singh.

Together, they funneled more than $500,000 of illegal foreign money into San Diego municipal and federal campaigns, primarily in 2012 and 2013, according to the charges.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Singh heads a company named ElectionMall, Inc., and Encinas was owner of a private security firm. According to the complaint, Encinas wanted the next mayor to fire police chief William Lansdowne and replace him with a person of Encinas's choosing.

Among the campaigns in which illegal foreign money was funneled were the 2012 San Diego mayoral campaign, a 2012 congressional campaign, and the 2013 special mayoral election.

Under United States law, foreign nationals are prohibited from making contributions in American elections. According to the complaint, Encinas helped disguise the contributions through use of shell companies. The unidentified donor is a resident of Mexico. A so-called "straw donor," owner of a California company and a friend of the foreign national, assisted in the illegal donations.

Mike Lipman, attorney for Singh, said his client "denies any involvement or improper or illegal activity and intends to vigorously defend himself against the unfounded charges."

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Centennial Salute to San Diego’s Military, East Village Block Party, Birding Basics Class

Events March 29-March 30, 2024
Next Article

Navy solves San Diego homeless crisis by retiring four locally moored ships

Decommision Accomplished
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.