By Brian Hews
11:59 a.m.
Former Los Angeles County appraiser Scott Schenter, charged with falsifying department documents and unlawfully lowering property values by $172 million, is due in Department 30 at 1:30 p.m. for arraignment.
Arraignment will take place in Department 30 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center, 210 West Temple Street.
Schenter, who worked from 1988 to early 2011 as a county appraiser, allegedly slashed values on multi-million dollar homes, condos and businesses in Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. Schenter allegedly secured campaign contributions from the owners of those homes and business for Assessor John Noguez.
Schenter, 49, was arrested this week in Beaverton, Ore. He is being held on $1.5 million bail.
“The magnitude of Schenter’s suspected betrayal of public trust is almost inconceivable,” Cooley said in a prepared statement to Los Cerritos Community Newspaper this week.
“We believe his actions are not isolated.”
Schenter’s arrest is part of an investigation launched last year by the D.A.’s Public Integrity Division into allegations that Noguez and several of his staff had reduced property values for wealthy clients of Ramin Salari, a tax consultant and campaign contributor to Noguez.