FBI, District Attorney's Office Serve Search Warrant in Palm Desert

Investigators from the District Attorney’s Office and the FBI raided Beaumont City Hall and Urban Logic Consultants on April 22, 2015. Photo by Renee Schiavone.

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Search warrants were carried out in a raid by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI in a total of three local cities Wednesday.

According to the FBI and Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, those warrants were served in Beaumont, Temecula and Palm Desert.

At the center of the investigation is the City of Beaumont, which was the first to be searched beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to officials.

“Search warrants were also served at locations in Palm Desert and Temecula subsequent to this investigation,” John Hall of the DA’s office told Patch via email. “My understanding is that those locations were residences.”

According to the Desert Sun, the home in Palm Desert is that of Beaumont City Manager Alan Kapanicas.

The FBI confirms they assisted at those locations as well.

Authorities remain tight-lipped as to the reason for the searches. However, Beaumont has long-been accused by community activists of illegally giving funds to a consulting group called Urban Logic, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. The city has denied any wrongdoing in the past.

“The City is fully cooperating with the District Attorney’s investigation and will continue to update the public as information is made available by the DA’s Office,” city officials said in a statement issued Wednesday night.