- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lake County Code Enforcement officer arrested for bribery, extortion and grand theft
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities said Thursday that a Lake County Code Enforcement officer has been arrested in a case involving bribery, extortion and grand theft.
Antonio Chavez Anguiano, 36, of Clearlake, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon.
He was booked into the Hill Road Correctional Facility on felony charges of extortion, soliciting/accepting a bribe and grand theft, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana for sale, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Chavez Anguiano, whose jail booking sheet listed him as a Code Enforcement employee, remained in custody on Thursday pending a bail source hearing, the sheriff’s office said.
He is due to appear in court for arraignment on Friday, based on jail records.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Community Development Director Mireya Turner, whose department includes Code Enforcement, said the Community Development Department recently received notification of illegal activity allegedly engaged in by a staff member.
“We immediately notified the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and provided all relevant information,” Turner said, adding that Chavez Anguiano was arrested on Wednesday for felony bribery charges following “an urgent and thorough investigation.”
Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Lauren Berlinn confirmed in a Thursday afternoon statement that the Community Development Department notified the sheriff's office “of illegal activity allegedly engaged in by a member of their staff.”
Berlinn said sheriff’s deputies began an investigation and executed a search warrant at Chavez Anguiano’s residence, recovering approximately $19,000 in cash and 35 pounds of processed marijuana, which led to his Wednesday arrest.
Berlinn told Lake County News that the sheriff’s office had at least two prior contacts with Chavez Anguiano going back to the early 2000s.
Lake County Superior Court records four traffic infraction cases between August 2010 and June 2023 that appear to have involved Chavez Anguiano.
“Public trust is a privilege that must be protected, and there are no higher priorities to Community Development leadership than the integrity of our staff and ethical conduct of our work. All appropriate protocols have and will continue to be followed in response to this occurrence. We do not tolerate illegal activity of any kind, and will fully support law enforcement’s efforts to bring justice in this unfortunate situation. The diligence of Lake County Sheriff’s Office personnel, and their support in reviewing and investigating this matter, are greatly appreciated,” Turner said in her Thursday morning statement.
Among other responsibilities, Code Enforcement has been tasked with enforcing the county’s cannabis rules and regulations and ensuring compliance by permitted growers.
So far, county officials have not answered questions about whether this case specifically involved cannabis growers in the county’s program, with the seizure of the processed marijuana suggesting a connection.
Turner said no further public comment would be provided at this time, and Berlinn also would not discuss further details of the case due to the ongoing investigation.
Transparent California, a pay and pension database of public employees in California, shows Chavez Anguiano as having worked as a Lake County Code Enforcement officer in both 2022 and 2023, with total pay and benefits ranging from $60,667.59 in the first year — which may have been a partial year — and $78,645.11 in the second year.
Chavez Anguiano is not the first Code Enforcement or Community Development employee to be arrested in a high profile criminal case.
Between 2008 and 2015, three employees were arrested on charges ranging from marijuana possession and sales, carrying loaded firearms in public, child cruelty and leading Lakeport Police on a high speed motorcycle chase.
Those arrests took place before Turner’s tenure, which began Aug. 31, 2022.
Berlinn said the sheriff’s office is continuing to work closely with Community Development “to ensure all appropriate protocols are met.”
This investigation is still ongoing, Berlinn said, and anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact Sgt. Dennis Keithly via email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.