Ex-Adelanto Councilman Convicted of Bribery and Arson

Former Adelanto Mayor Pro Tem Jermaine Wright is facing a minimum five-year sentence in federal prison after being convicted of one count of bribery and one count of attempted arson.

Wright was arrested in 2017 for soliciting a $10,000 bribe from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for helping a cannabis business open in the city. Authorities said he also hired a man to set fire to a restaurant he owned so that he could collect $300,000 in insurance money. 

After Wright was caught arranging the arson, he contacted an informant about making the undercover FBI agent “go away” to ensure there would be no testimony against him. Prosecutors say Wright then arranged his own assault. He hired the informant to beat him up outside his restaurant so that he could claim memory loss as a result of the attack.

Wright was found guilty on June 22 following a six-day trial. His sentencing is scheduled for September 12.

Adelanto is a city of around 34,200 in San Bernardino County. It has a history of corruption spanning more than 30 years.