A 64-year-old man is accused of accepting bribes for years, according to the FBI.
Natividad Lara Cervantes served as a U.S. Department of Defense employee and a supervisor for Construction and Service Contracts, Inspection Branch at Camp Pendleton. He allegedly used his position to extort bribes from businesses seeking to do business at Camp Pendleton. He supposedly referred to himself as the “Godfather at Camp Pendleton.”
Cervantes was caught using an FBI cooperating witness (CW), according to Daphne Hearn, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), of the FBI San Diego Field Office.
Last week the complaint against Cervantes claimed he received $40,000 in cash in exchange for using his influence for a contract. Specifically, he assisted in obtaining for a contractor a new $4 million flooring contract at Camp Pendleton.
On Thursday, March 28, Cervantes was arrested around 6:40 p.m. around the 7000 block of Miramar Road after allegedly accepting $10,000 cash from the CW. The $10,000 was a partial payment of a $40,000 bribe.
According to the complaint, Cervantes has been receiving bribes and other crimes related to his management of construction contracts at Camp Pendleton since September of 2008. The 64-year-old allegedly received thousands of dollars in cash payments and remodeling work on his condominium.
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