A Water Replenishment District (WRD) board member and his wife, were ordered to stand trial, in January 2015, for allegedly funneling public funds through him and his wifes nonprofit, to help a former West Basin Municipal Water District director pay his children’s tuition, dance lessons and rent. They face a jury of their peers in Superior Court next month.
The trial is set for February 4th for both Robert and Marilyn Katherman.
Robert Katherman stepped down from his position as an aide to Los Angeles city councilman Curren Price but is still on the WRD board.
The Daily Breeze reported:
Ron Smith, a father of seven, admitted in court in that he devised a plot with Robert Katherman in 2010 to use funds available to him as an elected official to help him with financial problems. While serving on the water board, he steered public funds to a Torrance-based nonprofit called Adopt a Stormdrain Foundation, where Robert Katherman, a director of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California, served as the foundation’s president and his wife, Marilyn Katherman, worked as its treasurer.
A former secretary noticed the checks to Smith and went straight to Torrance police.
Jane Robison, from the LA County Dist. Atty’s office provided the following information:
All sides are meeting with the judge on 1/25 in Torrance as a readiness hearing. Trial is set to begin on 2/4 in Torrance, meaning jury selection. That date might get moved depending on what happens on 1/25.
You can follow the trial using its case number YA090605.
Related article: Down goes Water Replenishment District director Rob Katherman
