San Diego Developer Stole Millions For Daughter's Lavish Wedding

A developer from San Diego is accused of misappropriating up to $20 million from a failed solar project in Los Angeles for personal uses.

According to Mercury News, William Barkett of La Jolla allegedly pilfered more than $5 million of the taxpayer money to avoid foreclosure on a mansion, pay off old debts to a longtime attorney, and finance his daughter's multimillion-dollar wedding.

The ceremony in the French Riviera featured a $360,000 performance by iconic Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli, according to court filings.

In September the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Barkett with embezzlement, grand theft, money laundering, and misappropriation of public funds.

Prosecutors say more than $8 million given to Barkett to develop the solar farm on behalf of the City of Industry was instead spent on "personal items."

In another civil case by Industry against Barkett, they allege he used at least $5.3 million from the project to maintain his family's extravagant lifestyle and to cover the money he owed from other failed projects.

“We’ve reviewed thousands of pages of documents and they indicate there was a misuse of funds that were supposed to go to the preparation of studies and analyses for the solar project,” said Jamie Casso, Industry’s city attorney. “But, instead, they went to support a lifestyle.”

Industry says the misused funds include $1,916,546 that the companies unknowingly spent on Barkett's daughter, Jacqueline Chervak, from 2016 to 2020.

From the two business accounts connected to the solar project Barkett allegedly paid $14,000 for a private jet, $44,000 for photography, $386,000 for the hotel, $650,000 for floral arrangements and event production, among other costs.