Official is charged with six felonies

Investigators arrested San Bernardino County Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman on Monday, charging him with six felony counts that include destroying public records, vandalism and offering forged or false documents as evidence, according to the county district attorney’s office.

Authorities said Aleman, 25, prepared false evidence to submit to a grand jury and destroyed the hard drive of a laptop computer issued to County Assessor Bill Postmus. Deputy Dist. Atty. John Goritz said Aleman substituted one person’s name for another’s in the minutes of a meeting, falsifying the record to make it look as if that person had done work that was actually done by someone else.

Investigators raided the assessor’s office in April, seizing computers and records. Aleman, former executive director of the county’s Republican Party, was put on leave shortly after the raid and remained on leave until his arrest.

Goritz said the investigation into the assessor’s office is ongoing.

Ted Lehrer, Postmus’ spokesman, said Monday afternoon that the office “is just hearing the news” about the charges against Aleman.

“At a more appropriate time, this office may comment further on these allegations,” he said.

Aleman was booked into West Valley Detention Center, where he is being held on $150,000 bond. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison, Goritz said.

--

-- David Kelly