LODI, Calif. — A former Lodi city councilman entered a plea Thursday in the ongoing cases against him in San Joaquin County.
According to a statement from Shakir Khan’s lawyer, Allen Sawyer, Khan entered a no-contest plea.
Sawyer says Khan was facing a prison sentence of up to 40 years, but under the plea deal, he will receive a two-year sentence at the San Joaquin County jail. However, Sawyer said he believes Khan will serve closer to one year due to "standard procedures and credit for time served."
The statement says Khan entered a no-contest plea as a “means to an end, ensuring that he can return to his family in the shortest time possible.”
At a 1:30 p.m. news conference, District Attorney Ron Freitas said Khan pleaded to all 77 counts against him — 41 counts of illegal gambling, money laundering, tax evasion and grand theft; 22 counts of false claims filed to EDD for COVID reimbursements; and 14 counts of election fraud.
Freitas says with this Khan will never be able to hold office in San Joaquin County again. A hearing is set for Jan. 16.
CASE HISTORY
Khan was first arrested in October 2020 on suspicion of money laundering. He was accused of running an illegitimate gambling site through the American Smokers Club on Waterloo Drive in Stockton and illegally funneling money through the business.
“I want to address the events of the past couple of days," Khan wrote on Facebook in 2020. "I categorically deny the allegations relating to a business that I do not own. I believe my political opponents have concocted this allegation to damage my reputation and campaign for Lodi City Council."
Despite the arrest, Khan won the District 4 race the following week.
Then, in February 2023, Khan was arrested on suspicion of felony elections crimes. The charges include falsely filing a declaration of candidacy, voting or attempting to vote more than once, registering a fictitious person, making or defacing a nomination paper and voter registration violation.
At the time the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said the charges stem from the 2020 election. In a news conference, investigators said they found 41 mail-in ballots at his home and 71 names were registered to his home or cell number.
In a Facebook post in February, Lodi Mayor Mikey Hothi said he asked for Khan’s immediate resignation and said Khan agreed to resign. The following day, Sawyer told ABC10 that Khan did not resign.
The city council website listed his seat as vacant and the city’s public information officer sent ABC10 a copy of the signed resignation with two signatures and a stamp from the clerk’s office.
Khan was released from jail on his own recognizance, but on several conditions — including wearing a GPS ankle tracking device.
In an interview with ABC10 after his release, Khan said the election crimes allegations were false and reiterated that he did not resign.
"This is just fake and false allegations," Khan told ABC10. "I'm looking forward to clearing my name and I'm going to continue to serve the people of my district."
In March 2023, the Lodi City Council voted to have a public appointment process for Khan’s seat and Ramon Yepez was sworn in on March 30. It came after a judge denied Khan’s restraining order for the vacancy appointment.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Lodi councilman Shakir Khan responds to election crimes charges
