The district's director of events and marketing is facing serious charges for allegedly running a bribe-for-business scheme. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office disclosed that Obdulia Banuelos-Esparza had been accused of soliciting kickbacks from a security company, 4 Diamond Security, in a quid pro quo for her recommendation to keep the firm on contract.
Suspected of accepting cash amounts ranging from hundreds to thousands monthly, Banuelos-Esparza is now confronted with the consequences of this arrangement. After the security firm ceased the payments, their contract was abruptly nonrenewed, raising questions about the integrity of the fairgrounds' operations. Charged with bribery and extortion, Banuelos-Esparza is expected to surrender herself, at which time her arraignment date will be set, according to the District Attorney's office.
The twist in events came to light after the DA’s Office was tipped off by the County Counsel’s Whistleblower Program, which had received a citizen’s complaint detailing various wrongdoings, including this alleged kickback scheme. Charged with pressing the security company owner to fork over a slice of their contract proceeds, Banuelos-Esparza reportedly played hardball when denied, claiming the company's guards were undisciplined and slept during their shifts. "The fairgrounds are where our community goes for fairs, festivals, and fun," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said via the Office of the District Attorney. "Not felonies."
The probe uncovered that the besieged security firm owner, trying to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020, relented to the demands. Startling figures suggest the pay-offs began around $2,500 per month, ballooning to nearly $4,000, calculated at $1 per guard-hour worked. Anyone with insights into the case or similar situations is encouraged to provide information to Deputy District Attorney John Chase at [email protected], the DA's office calls out to the public.
