Real estate development executive sentenced to 5 years in prison for bribery scheme with corrupt San Luis Obispo County supervisor

Date: Nov. 12, 2024

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LOS ANGELES - An executive at a San Luis Obispo-based real estate development company was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for paying a local politician nearly $95,000 in bribes and gifts in exchange for official acts benefiting the company's development projects.

Ryan Wright of Grover Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson. Judge Anderson also scheduled a restitution hearing for January 27, 2025.

Wright, who has been in federal custody since October 2023, pleaded guilty on September 13 to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

Wright was a managing member of PB Companies, LLC, a San Luis Obispo-based real estate development business, and had previously served as the company's CEO until December 2015. In 2014, PB Companies had multiple projects in the works, including in the city and county of San Luis Obispo.

From at least June 2014 to March 2017, Wright illegally conspired to bribe Adam Hill, an elected member of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. Hill represented the Third District, which included a majority of the city of San Luis Obispo. Hill voted on matters appearing before the Board of Supervisors, including budget bills that affected the city, and by virtue of his elected position, had influence over matters occurring within the city and in the city's departments and commissions.

Specifically, Wright bribed Hill with money and other financial benefits. In exchange, the supervisor used his official position to help Wright secure approvals necessary for PB Companies' real estate development projects, including by voting on two projects. Hill further used his official position to advise and influence other public officials deciding the fate of PB Companies' projects, including city officials and individuals appointed to city commissions.

In total, as part of this conspiracy, Wright arranged for Hill or his shell company to receive nearly $95,000 in payments, including a $10,000 wire in November 2016 just over a month after Hill voted on one of PB Companies' projects. Wright also paid for Hill's flight, hotel, and front-row ticket to a Major League playoff game in San Francisco in October 2014.

Hill died in August 2020.

The IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and FBI investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk, Billy Joe McLain, and Daniel J. O'Brien of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.

IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.