Former Glendale Mayor Indicted For Embezzling $305K From Farmer's Market

GLENDALE (CBS) — A former Glendale mayor and city councilman has been indicted for stealing nearly $305,000 from a Montrose farmers' market over eight years, according to a 28-count grand jury indictment unsealed Tuesday morning.

John Drayman, 54, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was taken into custody. He is being held on $200,000 bail, the District Attorney's office said.

Since 2002, Drayman served as director of the Montrose Shopping Park Association's Harvest Market, which operated a farmer's market every Sunday in Montrose, a small community in the foothills of Glendale. As director, Drayman was responsible for collecting proceeds from the weekly farmer's market and turning the money over to the association's treasurer.

Drayman allegedly embezzled an estimated $305,000 between Jan. 1, 2004 and April 30, 2011 from the farmer's market and laundered the money through his personal bank account. Drayman is also accused of perjury for omitting this income on his Fair Political Practices forms.

The association discovered the theft and money laundering in May 2011 and reported it to the Glendale Police Department, which launched an investigation, along with the Franchise Tax Board, according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges Drayman submitted a false credit application to a mortgage lender in 2010 and failed to report income to the California Franchise Tax Board.

Drayman was charged with one count of embezzlement by a public officer, 10 counts of filing a false tax return, five counts of money laundering, three counts of forgery, one count of submitting a false financial statement and eight counts of perjury. If convicted of the charges, Drayman – who left office last year – faces a sentence of 10 years in prison.

Drayman has recently been under fire for failing to file the proper permits for a massive $213,000 renovation of his condominium, according to the Los Angeles Times.