Placerville Mayor David Machado charged with felony perjury, conspiracy

Placerville Mayor David Machado was charged Thursday with perjury and conspiracy over a suspicious property purchase.Machado, 53, is also accused of improperly influencing a building official and trying to hide the cause of a fire from investigators by removing improperly installed base-board heaters.The property he allegedly holds a financial interest in is part of the El Dorado County city's redevelopment district.According to the felony criminal complaint filed by the El Dorado County District Attorney's office, Machado is alleged to have "unlawfully, under penalty of perjury," failed to disclose his financial interest in a Broadway property within the redevelopment zone.The second count in the complaint alleges that Machado also unlawfully conspired with others to destroy or conceal evidence.The El Dorado County District Attorney's office declined further comment when contacted Thursday evening and Machado couldn't be reached for comment.While serving on the redevelopment agency board as vice mayor of Placerville, last Aug. 24, Machado voted to adopt a redevelopment zone in Placerville.Machado, 53, is alleged in the complaint to have signed a purchase agreement last Oct. 1 on property at 1626-1630 Broadway in Placerville.But on Nov. 19, the complaint states Machado became aware of conflicts of interest on the purchase of the Placerville property and substituted the name of his son, Gregory Machado, on an addendum to the $95,000 purchase. The addendum Machado submitted noted that $10,000 already in the escrow account had been gifted to Gregory Machado and the remainder of the purchase price was being transferred to Gregory Machado, the complaint states. "On or about Dec. 21, 2010, defendant completes the false property transfer when escrow closes on subject property and Gregory Machado is listed on the grant deed," the complaint states.The failure to disclose a financial interest in the Broadway property took place Feb. 10, when the elder Machado didn't list it on a Fair Political Practices Commission "statement of economic interest form," the complaint states.Machado was elected to the City Council in November 2008 and is serving as Placerville mayor this year.Prior to his election to the City Council, Machado served on several city committees. He is the current chair of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Development Program, according to the city of Placerville website.According to jail records, Machado was released Thursday afternoon on $30,000 bail.The complaint lists 30 allegations against David Machado of "overt acts," including:- Having unpermitted work performed at the Broadway property between Jan. 4 and March 6, and telling a worker he was covering up work to conceal evidence from city inspectors.- Personally directing workers to do work after 5 p.m. and on weekends to avoid detection by the Placerville building inspector.- Installing or directing the installation of unpermitted floorboard heaters that illegally bypassed an electrical circuit breaker.- Gregory Machado "gifts" the Broadway property to his father on Feb. 1 and Dave Machado "re-gifts" the property back to his son after being advised by the Placerville City Attorney John Driscoll that is a conflict of interest to own it.- Machado "improperly influences Placerville city officials to obtain preferential treatment with Placerville city officials in the lifting of notices of cancellation without follow-up inspections being performed on the property."- A day after a Feb. 25 house fire at the Broadway property, David Machado personally removed improperly installed floor-board heaters and took them from the property in his vehicle prior to fire department and city inspections.- On Feb. 28, David Machado is listed as a "borrower" in an $80,000 loan against the Broadway property.The 30th "overt act" allegation involves a second property that David Machado is accused of constructing in the 2800-block of Mosquito Road in Placerville "without appropriate permits and unassessed through the county Assessor's Office.- Penne Usher and Gus Thomson contributed to this report