Politics & Government

Grand Jury Testimony: Drayman Asked for $100,000 Loan for Condo

The Montrose local and Glendale ex-councilman met with a consultant and a developer for a lunch meeting in Glendale, where his request for a loan was turned down.

Grand jury testimony reported that John Drayman asked for a $100,000 loan from a consultant and a developer in 2010 to soften the blow of remodeling costs to his condominium, a request that was turned down, according to the Glendale News-Press.

The two people he met, development consultant Rodney Khan and developer Marc Nathanson, turned down Drayman's loan request because they believed the money would create a conflict of interest, the News-Press reports. In the days following that meeting, Nathanson connected Drayman with businessman John Moller, who sent the money via wire transfer in January 2011, according to the testimony. Drayman then wrote a $100,000 check to the contractor who worked on his condominium, the News-Press reports.

Drayman has been indicted on felony charges that he allegedly embezzled nearly $305,000 from the , according to the District Attorney's Office. He was arraigned at a downtown Los Angeles courtroom May 8 where he pleaded not guilty to following a 28-count grand jury indictment unsealed by Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg, officials said. 

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Drayman faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted. His bail was set at $200,000 and he was released with help from the Thompsons and Weismans, both Crescenta Valley families and friends of Drayman. 

The Weismans apparently wrote a $10,000 check and the Thompsons contributed $6,000 for the bond, The News-Press reported. The Weismans also put up a home they own as collateral. 

Find out what's happening in Montrose-La Crescentawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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