Longtime Vernon mayor, scion of ruling family, convicted of voter fraud

December 4, 2009 | 5:48 pm

A former mayor of Vernon and his wife were convicted today of voter fraud and conspiracy, capping a three-year legal saga that ended the family’s long grip on the tiny industrial city in southeast Los Angeles County.

Prosecutors accused Leonis and Dominica Malburg of engaging in an elaborate sham in which they pretended to reside in Vernon while they actually lived in a large home in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Max Huntsman.

“Many, many politicians ... claim they can run for office where they don’t really live,â€