California School Pizza Bribery Case

(Los Angeles, California) The 31-year-old food services director with the Lawndale Elementary School District, Arturo Nuno, has been accused of accepting kickbacks from a pizza restaurant that supplied school lunches.

Nuno has been charged with four counts of felony bribery.

Nuno, who pleaded not guilty, is accused of taking 50 cents for every pizza sold to the school district by the restaurant from Oct. 1, 2010, to July 31, 2012, said Jean Guccione, spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office.

All told, Nuno is accused of accepting about $10,000 in cash, she said Friday.[…]

According to the DA's Office, Nuno periodically stopped by the restaurant to pick up envelopes containing between $200 and $700 in cash. Guccione said the school district paid the establishment $6.50 per pizza, and that Nuno demanded 50 cents of that amount.

Interestingly, about six months into the alleged nefarious pizza scheme, Nuno was given a pay raise from $80,651 to $94,531, a 17% bump. Without the allegations of wrongdoing, Nuno's job performance was lauded.

Nevertheless, Nuno was arrested, booked and then released on $100,000 bond. A court appearance is scheduled for January 23, 2013.