A Republican California mayor was arrested for allegedly playing strip poker with teenage counselors at a camp for poverty-stricken children.
Mayor of the City of Stockton, just outside San Francisco, Anthony Ray Silva, is accused of recording the strip poker games on his cell phone, according to NBC News affiliate.
Mayor Anthony Ray Silva of Stockton, California, U.S. is shown in this booking photo released on August 4, 2016. Courtesy Amador County Sheriff’s Office/Handout via REUTERS – RTSL4AG
An unknown female is heard saying, “I didn’t sign nothing to be recorded,” according to an affidavit produced by the Amador County District Attorney’s office. Another unidentified female says, “I want to get paid…paid to be sitting here butt naked …. ”
Silva then seems to scramble for an explanation for his purported recording. “It’s like uh-it’s an amateur thing for Vegas. You have to turn it in, you know.” The other participants are then heard saying “no” and “bullshit,” but continue their involvement in the escapade.
“Would you like wrapping up your dick with tissue,” “not until you get naked” and “give us our clothes back” were all utterances heard from the underage teenagers, according to the DA office’s transcription.
The FBI received a warrant to search Silva’s phone late last year, according to a statement from county authorities. Department of Homeland Security officials attempted to seize Silva’s phone at the San Francisco International airport a month prior to the issuance of the warrant, according to Ars Technica.
County authorities sent out a press release titled, “Stockton Mayor Arrested,” which states that a “clip contains audio of a conversation between participants involved in a strip poker game that occurred in Silva’s bedroom” and that a “conversation between the participants indicated that they were naked.” One of the participants is allegedly a 16 year old male. Silva also apparently supplied underage counselors with alcohol.
Silva was taken into custody Thursday at the annual mayor’s Youth Camp, Ars Technica reports, and is being charged with felony eavesdropping along with other more minor charges. The City of Stockton relieved Silva of his campsite duties and ended the camp earlier than scheduled because of the incident.
“So why does this suddenly have to be executed now?” Sawyer told Ars Technica. “They allowed him to start the camp again, having all this information? Seems kind of unusual.” Sawyer believes that the arrest is a political maneuver since Silva, a Republican, is set to face Democratic City Councilman Michael Tubbs in a heated mayoral election in November.
Following the arrest, law enforcement arrived at the camp presumably to ensure that children were safe, according to a statement issued by the City of Stockton.
Silva posted bail and planned on returning to the camp to help clean up what remains on the camp site.
Silva’s attorney, N. Allen Sawyer, contends that “the mayor’s position is that this is false and that he’s going to fight it, and he’s innocent and that he wants his day in court,” according to Ars Technica. He denies the charges. He absolutely intends to fight it.”
Silva has been mayor since 2012 and also serves as the president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Stockton.
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