LOS ANGELES — Carmelo Marquez, former interim chief security officer for the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA), has been charged with allegedly using his position to secure $120,000 in contracts for his own company.
The 42-year-old faces three counts of conflict of interest, two counts of perjury, and one count of grand theft. According to the LA County District Attorney’s Office, Marquez profited $19,904 from the contracts.
If convicted, he could face up to six years and eight months in state prison.
“Public service is meant to be a position of trust, not a way for people to enrich themselves through fraudulent actions,” said District Attorney Nathan Hochman. He emphasized the importance of transparency through mandatory disclosure forms filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
Prosecutors said Marquez initially worked as an independent contractor for LACERA before being appointed interim chief security officer in February 2023. He allegedly failed to disclose ownership of a business that sold software products and provided technical support to the retirement agency.
LACERA has filed a lawsuit against Marquez, accusing him of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and conflict of interest.
