Millions of dollars in fines for non -disturbed renovations, unexplained loans against property and a mystery investor who may or may not be a real person.
The trial of application of the Bessmon Code “Ben” Kalasho which ended on Wednesday also included this unusual characteristic: the former member of the municipal council of El Cajon represented himself in court – but only after having obtained a suspension for a mandate of bench issued for his arrest in 2023.
Kalasho, who was elected in 2016 and left halfway through a little more than two years later, was prosecuted in 2023 by the city which he previously served, accused of having made improved improvements to his home on Cliffdale Road.
He left the County of San Diego shortly after resigning in 2019 and finally set up as executive chief in a private castle for rent in the Caroline du Nord rural.
During all this time, the agents of the application of the El Cajon code required repairs and improvements to what they said to be an illegal dwelling and rental of attic, in particular non -allowed stairs, terms, electrical and plumbing work in the entire frame A of four floors.
But the improvements and inspections required by the city were not attempted for years, and the officials of El Cajon began to issue fines.
Penalties started at $ 100 a day but were successively collected from thousands of dollars per day because Kalasho did not respond, said the city. They now exceed $ 2.5 million, more than double the value of the house.
Kalasho insists that he has never received the many opinions sent by post to the house of Fletcher Hills or posted on the front door. He said he was distinguished for persecution due to an unforeseen relationship with his former colleagues from the Council.
“All this is political,” Kalasho said in his declaration of closing in court. “They continue to come to me with different things. It will never end. They will come after me for years. ”
Lawyers representing the city said Kalasho had ignored and avoided requests to apply the code for years, has placed its property in a fictitious trust and protected it through at least two other companies.
They said that Kalasho and his wife Jessica had rented the property – and still do it – despite conditions that have a serious risk of public security.
“Mr. and Ms. Kalasho benefit from the rental,” said Steven Boehmer, one of the lawyers representing El Cajon during the three -day trial. “They put people potentially in danger. We have no idea of the quality of the work that has been done. ”
The city hopes that fines will be paid in full and the property placed in the perception so that it can be inspected and repaired if necessary. Managers also want Kalasho to pay their lawyer fees, investigation fees and other expenses.
Kalasho had two years controversial at the municipal council. He competed regularly with the majority of the council and was criticized for having held on his mobile phone during public meetings.
More than once, he has openly beaten with other elected officials. The Council also had to revise on several questions on which Kalasho voted due to his acceptance of business payments having commercial interests before the city.
This week, in a case that even judge Joel Wohlfeil said that it was atypical, the lawyers of El Cajon said that Kalasho gave way of the house to a trust controlled by Maximilian von Ayers – a person who, according to them, did not exist and is in fact Kalasho.
They called a former tenant to testify, among other things, that he had previously spoken to Von Ayers by phone and that the voice at the other end of the line sounded as Kalasho had done in court.
Kalasho, meanwhile, has exercised his constitutional law against self-in-incrimination by refusing to say even that he knew or had already spoken to Von Ayers. He also refused to answer questions about Israel Moses Seiff LLC and Navy Federal Credit Union, which has part of the room.
“I will invoke my privilege of the fifth amendment,” he said.
Kalasho and his wife have already been prosecuted.
In an unrelated civil affair of 2017 alleging fraud, defamation and other affirmations, they were accused of fueling a beauty competition sponsored by Kalasho through his for -profit chamber of commerce, creating false social media accounts to criticize the rivals and fight against the faces of others on photos of naked women before publishing these online lines.
One of the complainants’ lawyers, who won a judgment of $ 300,000 but was unable to collect, accused Kalasho of having hidden his assets by submitting false files with the county assessor. Another guaranteed bench by guaranteeing the arrest of the Kalashos after showing that they were in San Diego despite their complaint so as not to be able to attend the court in person.
Ben and Jessica Kalasho in 2023 were sentenced to eight days in prison for the court to court, but the mandates and prison terms were suspended during the process of the code application of this week so that they can defend themselves in court.
The trial, started on Monday, was held without the benefit of a jury, which means that Wohlfeil will determine how to resolve it.
The judge ordered each side to submit one last memory next month and said he would make a decision shortly after examining them. He also indicated that he was likely to order the home brought into compliance and reduce the evaluated penalties.
“You may have been a lightning rod at the Town Hall, without a doubt,” Wohlfeil told Kalasho at the end of the trial. “But there seems to be substantial evidence of violations.”
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
