Former Anaheim Chamber of Commerce president Todd Ament had his sentencing hearing moved to February 2026 as his legal team has struck a new plea deal with the government over Ament’s 2022 wire fraud charges in addition to lying to a mortgage lender, lying on his tax returns and other crimes. Ament faces a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison. He remains free on bail.
There’s speculation that one of Ament’s four charges against him will be dropped which could result in a significant reduction in prison time.
According to a 2022 federal complaint, Ament was named as a ringleader who worked behind the scenes to influence Anaheim politics. He is pleading guilty to the charges leveled against him and neither Ament’s defense team or federal prosecutors are commenting on the delay in sentencing or what the new plea agreement includes.
But now that Ament’s sentencing is delayed, the person who is responsible for bringing down the Anaheim Cabal is going through with her sentencing on a single county of wire fraud. Political consultant Melehat Rafiei was initially facing the possibility of 15 to 21 months – partial jail time and home confinement – after the FBI re-opened her case that had been dismissed.
The federal government has since withdrawn this request and is now crediting Rafiei’s work in taking down the Anaheim Cabal – at great risk to herself – and is recommending a monetary fine and probation. No jail time. The sentence is still up to the judge.
Here’s an excerpt from the government’s pre-sentencing filing:
“Upon motion of the government stating that the defendant has provided substantial assistance in the investigation or prosecution of another person who has committed an offense, the court may depart
from the guidelines.” U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1. In determining the appropriate reduction, the Court may consider, among other factors, the court’s evaluation of the significance and usefulness of the defendant’s assistance; the truthfulness, completeness, timeliness, and reliability of any information provided by the defendant; and any injury or danger incurred by the defendant in cooperating with the government. Id. Here, all of those factors weigh in favor of a significant departure for defendant.
On the same day she was initially approached by the FBI, defendant agreed to assist FBI agents in investigating public corruption in Orange County. Based on defendant’s actions, including covertly recording meetings and phone calls, the government was able to charge Todd Ament, the former chairman of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, and Harry Sidhu, the former mayor of Anaheim. Both Ament and Sidhu resigned from their positions and pled guilty to fraud charges; Sidhu was sentenced to two months’ custody, and Ament is yet to be sentenced. Without defendant Rafiei’s actions, the government likely could not have charged Ament or Sidhu. Rafiei devoted a significant amount of time to her cooperation, provided information that was truthful and timely, and risked her own political, business, and personal connections and reputation to do so.
…..defendant immediately accepted responsibility for her actions and spent over a year actively cooperating with the government, leading to serious charges against two other individuals.
Under the particular circumstances of this case, the government submits that a probationary sentence will appropriately reflect the seriousness of this offense and promote respect for the law, deter
future criminal conduct from both the defendant and others without imposing greater punishment than necessary, and serve to protect the community from further crime, while minimizing sentencing disparities among similarly situated defendants.
……
Here’s some excerpts from Rafiei’s Sentencing Memo from her Legal team to the Court:
The Court does have discretion to impose a sentence outside the United States Sentencing Commission’s Guideline range. A variance from 15 months to probation is appropriate in light of Ms. Rafiei’s extensive, prolonged and productive actual cooperation. High ranking public officials who have now been exposed and convicted could be continuing their mass-scale corruption absent Ms. Rafiei’s aid. It is likely that Anaheim would have suffered financially had Ms. Rafiei not aided the investigation. Once the investigation of Mr. Sidhu and Mr. Ament came to light, the Anaheim City Council voided a $320 million deal to sell Angel Stadium, reportedly due to alleged underhanded dealings by a “cabal” of business and political leaders.
…
Ms. Rafiei respectfully asserts that a downward variance to probation would be sufficient but not greater than necessary to serve the ends of justice. Her brother, Meilad captures her essence eloquently “she is a daughter who honors her parents, a sister who has been a lifelong anchor to me and our sibling, a mother who has guided her child with strength and kindness, and a community member was made it her mission to contribute positively to those around her, regardless of their status in society.”
…..
Rafiei received more than 40 letters of support from friends and colleagues in support of a just and light sentence. The sentencing is still up to the judge; I can’t be objective here as I wrote one of those letters. As I told her over the past few years, when you go through something like this, you learn who your friends are. And she has.
As for the charges she’s admitted to, it was a mistake in judgment to mix her political work and her cannabis consulting work. I’m hoping the public benefit of her efforts to expose the Cabal outweighs all other factors.
We’ll know more on August 22.
I have had the good fortune to call Mel Rafiei my friend for 20 years. I have never encountered a more hardworking, dedicated and loyal person in my lifetime. She’s the best.
I’m glad Melahat is finally getting credit publicly for the work she did to help root out corruption in Anaheim. It’s about time the full truth is told.
Melahat has been a crooked individual for many years. Many folks know this. Dan thinks she should get a light sentence because she is his friend.
she’s been a force for women, for people of color, and she’sbeen effective
She has indeed been an effective force for people of color and women, as long as they happen to be named Melahat.
She is a loser and so are you Dan.
Any mirrors in your house Eric?
I see only 29 character letters of support. I can’t believe how much your washing over the severity of Melahat’s multi-layered fraud/bribery scheme.
The underlying bribery scheme orchestrated by Rafiei involved multiple layers of deception, as described in the Prosecution’s Motion. In 2018, Rafiei agreed to give at least $225,000 in bribes to two members of the Irvine City Council in exchange for their agreement to introduce and pass a city ordinance that would allow Rafiei’s cannabis industry client to open a retail cannabis store in Irvine. At the time, Donald Wagner was Mayor along with City Councilmembers Melissa Fox, Jeffrey Lalloway, Christina Shea, and Lynn Schott. It is not known which of these Councilmembers received Rafiei’s bribe offer. In a recorded phone call, Rafiei asked someone whom she believed to be her client to pay her between $350,000 and $400,000 in exchange for getting the cannabis ordinance introduced on the City’s agenda for Council vote. Unbeknownst to her, she was speaking to a confidential source for the government. Rafiei later told her client that one City Councilmember had requested $25,000, while another had requested $200,000.
In 2019, Rafiei told the same confidential source that in exchange for a payment of at least $300,000, she would work to pass a cannabis-related ordinance in Anaheim that would benefit and be specifically tailored for the confidential source’s business. In fact, Rafiei was already working on such an ordinance for other paying clients according to the prosecution. Moreover, while Rafiei represented to the confidential source that she would only keep $10,000 of the payment, she intended to keep $100,000.
You don’t know which two council members were involved? Lame. Irvine needs a cannabis store. She brought down the cabal in Anaheim. Want me to email you every sloppy affectionate email Treseder sent her? I have all of them
Melahat is a member of the Anaheim cabal. She participated with them and when she got caught, she gave them up to save her own skin.
She’s a failed influence peddler who got caught being crooked and corrupt. She deserves jail time and to be ostracized. She’s garbage, and if you hang around garbage long enough you start to stink, Dan.
Yeah. No. You’re wrong
I love all of these men who claim to know what happened but have never met Mel or don’t really know anything about her (other than what they read on blogs or in the papers) Man-splaining at its finest. I dare you guys to get out from behind your keyboards, and ask her what happened. I bet you’re afraid of the truth because it doesn’t fit your narrative. You guys are a bunch of assholes behind keyboards.
I know.
Criminal behavior is criminal behavior, regardless of gender.
Melahat’s “poor immigrant single mother” act quickly became tiresome.
You said it owk. But you forgot traumatized. Poor traumatized immigrant single mother
Dan,
No elected official except Beth Krom submitted a character letter.
Not even Tammy Kim or Farrah Khan. Employees of her defunct pr firm like Cory Allen stayed on the sidelines. Do you realize how foolish you look? She is a fraud!!! Always has been always will be. What does that say about you??
Eric, a number of letters were written. The ones submitted are not all of them. Stay in your lane
So she chose a handful of her child’s teachers and you and Beth over elected officials, employees, former clients, etc. Ok Dan. Whatever you say.
Does that diminish what the letters say in any way?
Uh yeah Dan it does. Your letter parroted Beth’s letter. It didn’t add anything new. The pool must have been scarce and questionable.
Is John Hannah still an elected official? Yes he is
You referenced Beth’s son too if I recall. Tool.
It’s Hanna. He is a lobbyist and a board trustee for a community college district. Not terribly impressive as an “elected” official. Perpetual seat warmer.
Yes, because I wrote the statement for a grieving family that are dear friends and worked with Melahat on it. Scott Moxley from OC Weekly asked me what I charged Beth’s campaign and I told him to where he could go. Why don’t you try to figure out where he is these days
Beth wrote hers awhile ago; I did not see hers when I crafted mine. And if the letters had similar tones, its because we’ve had smilar experiences with Melahat.
“Crafted?”
That’s hilarious!
Was it full of spelling errors, terrible grammar, and typos like your posts here?
It was short. As those statements tend to be
I just saw Vern’s post, so here’s a few factchecks:
1. Melahat had zero to do with the OCPA; I’ve done two PRAs with them and her name doesn’t appear in a single email, not on a page of notes, nor in any letters or memos. That’s a lie from Kathleen Treseder who’s told it often and publicly.
2. I’m part of the Cabal? News to me. I’m a cheerleader for the Angels to stay in Anaheim and the area around the stadium to be developed; I also think the cty should get out of the stadium business. Any sale of the stadium has to be good for the city and the team.
3. 40 letters? That’s what my source said. It was 28. Thanks for counting Vern. Bet she still more letters of support than he got before he went to jail for a DUI in 2008/9 (which wasn’t his last)
4. Melahat was executive director of the DPOC in 2008/9 — when you were in jail so that was easy for you to miss. The feds began their investigation in 2018. But what’s a decade?
I just got an email from a friend suggesting we started calling Vern’s blog “The Orange Douche Blog.” And for Dave Zenger, it’s been what? 12 years? Loser. Class A example of how to screw your professional career. Glad you think I’m a joke. That issued is already been decided that you are.