Jury Convicts Mexican Millionaire of Campaign Finance Fraud in 2012 San Diego Mayoral Race

SAN DIEGO, CA — After six weeks of trial and more than five days of deliberations, a federal jury in San Diego returned guilty verdicts against three defendants for their involvement in illegally funneling more than $500,000 in foreign campaign contributions to two candidates running to become the mayor of San Diego in 2012.

Coronado resident and Mexican businessman Jose Susumo "Azano" Matsura, 51, his son Edward Susumo Azano Hester, 24, and Ravneet Singh, 44, were each convicted of felony counts associated with a series of illegal campaign contributions by Azano to the 2012 campaigns of former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and Bonnie Dumanis, who was later elected as San Diego County district attorney.

The jury found Azano guilty on 36 counts, including conspiracy, campaign finance violations, falsification of records and bribery.

Azano's attorney, Michael Wynne, told reporters outside court that he was "very disappointed" with the verdicts and predicted a "win on appeal," even if the case goes all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to evidence presented at trial, Azano — who at one time owned at least two Coronado homes, a gas station in Chula Vista, office buildings in Otay Mesa and a penthouse condo in Miami, Florida, according to Voice of San Diego — contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars and free in-kind campaign services to the Dumanis and Filner campaigns during the 2012 election cycle, despite the fact that his foreign national status made such contributions illegal.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Schopler told jurors that Azano got his son and others to recruit straw donors to contribute to the Dumanis campaign, then Azano reimbursed the donors.

Azano also arranged with co-defendant Singh to have Azano secretly pay for hundreds of thousands of dollars of services from Singh’s campaign consulting company, and to use those services to benefit the campaigns, prosecutors said. Evidence also purportedly showed that Azano secretly funneled $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee through a conduit straw donor.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on several charges brought against San Diego lobbyist Marco Polo Cortes, and acquitted Cortes, 46, on several charges of falsifying campaign donation records.

The jury also acquitted Hester on several charges related to the falsification of campaign donation records, and could not reach a verdict on several other charges against Hester.

The jury could not reach a verdict on a firearm charge against Azano. A status hearing has been scheduled for November on those counts.

“We appreciate the jury’s dedication during this long trial and are grateful for their careful consideration of the evidence,” said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Blair C. Perez, acting attorney for the United States in this case. “The jury’s verdict confirms that a foreign national must not attempt to influence a United States election.”

The convicted defendants were ordered to return to court on Dec. 5 for a sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Michael M. Anello.

— City News Service contributed to this report.

Screenshot image of Jose Susumo "Azano" Matsura via NewsNowSanDiego, YouTube