The homes of Lancaster\u2019s vice mayor and a council member \u2014 along with City Hall and a home in Bel-Air \u2014 were served with FBI search warrants Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
Details on what authorities were investigating were not immediately clear, but they began searching Lancaster City Hall in the early morning and by the afternoon, were also at the homes of Vice Mayor Marvin Crist, Councilmember Raj Malhi and a third home in Bel-Air, according to law enforcement sources.<\/p>\n
All four locations are tied to the same investigation.<\/p>\n
An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment on the nature of the search, citing sealed warrants. <\/p>\n
Crist and Malhi could not be immediately reached for comment. <\/p>\n
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, reached by phone on Wednesday, told a reporter, \u201cI don\u2019t know what is going on. I have served with these two for years, and they have always been honorable.\u201d <\/p>\n
He urged residents not to rush to judgment.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s all wait and see,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Jennifer Seguin, a spokesperson for the city of Lancaster, issued a statement saying the city \u201cis not aware of the details related to FBI actions conducted in the city today. A search warrant was lawfully executed at City Hall, and we are cooperating with federal authorities. City Hall operations and our work for the community continues as normal.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Law enforcement sources, not authorized to discuss the matter, told The Times the searches are part of a long-term federal public corruption probe.<\/p>\n
The searches followed a City Council election on Tuesday, in which Crist, a former firefighter turned insurance broker, did not seek reelection after 16 years on the council and as a fixture in Antelope Valley politics.<\/p>\n