Two San Bernardino councilmen charged in separate criminal cases

Two San Bernardino city councilmen face criminal charges in separate cases, authorities said Thursday.

Councilman Robert Jenkins, 33, has been charged in Riverside County with 18 felonies and 12 misdemeanor crimes related to identity theft and stalking, according to a statement from the Riverside County district attorney’s office.

Councilman Chas Kelley, a 44-year-old running in the Nov. 5 election for mayor, faces a perjury charge for allegedly signing off on campaign finance documents he knew had false information, according to the criminal complaint filed by the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office.

Prosecutors allege Kelley misrepresented the contributions received and the expenditures made by the Friends of Chas Kelley committee. Prosecutors began examining Kelley’s financial records after receiving a complaint in October 2011, and the charge stems from a review of records obtained last year, according to the complaint.

In Jenkins’ case, prosecutors said the councilman posted advertisements on Craigslist seeking sex partners and directed those who replied to his two alleged victims, whose names, photographs and addresses he would give out. Prosecutors said Jenkins knew one of the victims and the second had a relationship with the first. Both people live in Riverside County.

Prosecutors said Jenkins also created and distributed a fake internal memo from the San Bernardino Police Department — using the names of two ranking police officials and the seals of the city and Police Department — to make it appear that he was also a victim of online harassment.

Investigators were able to link Jenkins by tracing the IP, or Internet protocol, addresses associated with the online ads to Jenkins’ workplace and the home of his relatives.

Kelley is set to be arraigned Thursday, and Jenkins’ arraignment is scheduled for December.

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