"In or about 2000, the City of Taft entered into a consulting agreement with Gretchen Belli to perform various consulting services. The consulting agreement was terminated in early 2001. Sometime thereafter, Mrs. Belli and her son, Jacob Ritchey, were indicted by the Kern County Grand Jury for several crimes against the City of Taft including four felony counts of (1) grand theft, (2) attempted grand theft, (3) filing a false or fraudulent claim for payment with the City of Taft, and (4) conspiracy to defraud to the City of Taft."
A story published July 27, 2005 in the Bakersfield Californian reads:
"The long, sordid tale of a onetime Bay Area socialite accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from Taft for fancy homes and vacations has one more mystery left: What will her punishment be after pleading no contest to two felonies? Gretchen Belli faces time in state prison or county jail -- or no lockup at all -- when she is sentenced in Kern County Superior Court Aug. 16, Deputy District Attorney Craig Smith said Tuesday. It's very likely Judge Jon Stuebbe will order Belli to pay $29,970 restitution to Taft, he said. The Taft City Council paid Belli's company some $760,000 in 2000 and 2001 to consult on economic development projects that eventually were abandoned..."
Subsequently the minutes for the August 30, 2005 meeting of the Taft City Council indicate:
"...that the Gretchen Belli trial is over, and that she received 60 days jail time and deposited $29,750 in an account for the City of Taft.."
Gretchen Belli is the former daughter in law of famed San Francsico attorney Melvin Belli. She is listed as a consultant in the credits of the 2007 film "Zodiac." She is also known as Evelyn Gretchen BELLI, Gretchen Riddell, and Gretchen Riddel Ritchey. Belli is named in a lawsuit filed by Barwest LLC June 21, 2007.
It is likely that Barwest's connection to Willie L. Brown, Jr. involved Gretchen Belli.
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