SANTA ANA, Calif. (Diya TV) — Former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu was sentenced to two months in federal prison for trying to obstruct a corruption probe involving the attempted sale of Angel Stadium. U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb handed down the sentence on March 28 at the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse, highlighting Sidhu’s violation of public trust.
Apart from the prison sentence, Sidhu, who was 67, was also ordered to pay a fine of $55,000 and will also spend one year on supervised release. Sidhu had pleaded guilty in August 2023 to obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and providing false statements to federal authorities. The charges followed his conduct while negotiating the sale of Angel Stadium to the owner of the Los Angeles Angels.
Sidhu pleaded guilty to sharing confidential city information with the Angels during negotiations and deleting emails related to it to hinder the federal investigation. He also pleaded guilty to trying to evade California sales tax by registering a helicopter purchase with an Arizona address.
Before sentencing, Sidhu apologized, saying, “I am ashamed and I put my whole heart into the letter that I have described and given to you.” Judge Holcomb took note of Sidhu’s compliance and surrender but emphasized the requirement for imprisonment, saying, “I do believe that the defendant betrayed the City of Anaheim. That breach of trust warrants a term of incarceration.
Sidhu, an Indian immigrant, constructed a business career of quick-service franchises in Southern California before joining politics. He was the mayor of Anaheim from 2018 until his resignation in 2022 during the federal investigation.
The sentencing caps a tumultuous chapter in Anaheim’s recent past that has been dominated by scandal over the stadium contract, which was later invalidated after the corruption investigation. Sidhu must report to authorities on September 2 to start serving his time.
