A Lodi, Calif. metropolis councilmember and his comrade were arraigned Tuesday on multiple charges, including illegal gambling, money laundering, and revenue enhancement evasion, according to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.

Councilmember Shakir Khan and Zakir Khan are alleged to hold operated illegal gaming machines out of two businesses they owned inwards Stockton. They after allegedly laundered around $3 zillion inwards profits.

Shakir Khan also faces legion(p) charges related to Employment Development Department hoax for allegedly unlawfully receiving money from California’s pandemic alleviation fund.

Cases involving money laundering, fraud, and taxation nonpayment are rattling complex and require an inordinate amount of resources to prove,” District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said in a statement. “Integrity matters, the truth matters, and our power prosecutes those who quarry on and read advantage of marginalized communities.”

Khan Elected Despite Arrest

Khan was initially arrested in November 2020 after San Joaquin County sheriff’s officers executed a look stock-purchase warrant on the brothers’ American Smokers Club, a tobacco store inwards Stockton.

The 45-page complaint filed by the DA’s power to the CA Superior Margaret Court also alleges ane other allegation. The complaint states another business, the One Stop Smoke Shop inward Stockton, is a place where the brothers permitted illegal betting activity to occur.

Back in November, Khan denied he had low the jurisprudence and questioned the timing — simply three years before extended voting began inwards the urban center council elections.

The Pakistani-born American was a walkaway leader in the rush against triad other candidates for the city’s District 4 seat. Despite his arrest, he won comfortably, with 45.78 percent of the vote.

I believe my political opponents make concocted this allegation to harm my reputation and safari for Lodi City Council,” he said in a Facebook stake at the time.

Khan had campaigned to cut offense in Stockton and vowed to do work with the Lodi Police Department to address issues like gangs, drugs, and public safety.

‘Withhold Judgment’ Plea

On Wednesday, his lawyer, Ethan Allen Sawyer, said his client had no intention of resigning his office. He added that Khan sold the businesses before the illegal play allegedly took place.

“Mr Khan denies these charges and looks frontward to clarification his name,” Sawyer said. “None of these allegations regard his office staff of City Council. … Mr. Khan asks the public that they withhold perspicacity and that he live afforded the assumption of innocence.”

The defendants were arraigned before San Joaquin Superior Court Judge Ronald Northrup at near 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. They were released of their have recognizance, which substance they were non required to carry bail.

They were ordered to give up their passports and forbear from traveling come out of the res publica and were placed on pre-trial monitoring.

A tertiary brother, Mohammed Khan, will be arraigned on his paying back to the United States.