Second Ex-LADWP Executive Agrees To Plead Guilty In Corruption Case

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A second former Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Executive has agreed to plead guilty following an ongoing probe into the mishandling of the DWP's billing system.

A day in court is yet to be scheduled for the former chief information security officer, David F. Alexander, who served in that position from May 2017 to February 2019. After his term as the chief information security officer, Alexander worked as the chief cyber-risk officer from February 2019 to August 2019.

According to prosecutors, Alexander manipulated the review of the bidders to favor Aventador and who later changed its name to Ardent Cyber Solutions, the company headed by Paul Paradis who prosecutors. The prosecutors claim that Alexander not only knew Paradis but lied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about his conversations and agreements.

After Ardent and two other vendors were awarded a contract of $17 million, Alexnder manipulated another $82.5 million contract for Paradis' company. Prosecutors also said that Alexander solicited a future job as the chief administrative officer of Ardent, an executive-level salary, a signing bonus and compensation of $60,000 per year for 30 years to cover his early retirement penalty from DWP.

Prosecutors said that he later lied about turning down the job with ardent when questioned by the FBI.

The former general manager of DWP David H. Wright also agreed to plead guilty to federal bribery charges last week.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)