SAN DIEGO — Another chapter in the 101 Ash Street debacle came to an end Thursday.
Jason Hughes, the real estate broker at the center of the highly publicized deal, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating state conflict-of-interest rules.
Hughes did not appear before a judge, his defense attorney appeared on his behalf.
The criminal charge came as a surprise. Up until now, the case has been in civil court.
Hughes was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay a $400 fine. But that's just his criminal case.
Yesterday, the city council voted in favor of a civil court settlement. As part of the deal, Hughes agreed to pay back $9.4 million to the city. In exchange, the city will drop its lawsuits against him.
District Attorney Summer Stephan spoke to reporters after the March 23 hearing.
"What I always say is there's no such thing as a little bit of corruption. It's like a little bit of arsenic. it poisons everything and erodes the public trust that the government is serving the public good. Today's guilty plea stops the bleed and ends the cost of ongoing civil litigation and concludes an extensive criminal investigation," said Stephan.
She said at this point, no one else faces criminal charges in this case.
"If something develops in the future that points us in a direction we should go, we'll go there," she said.
CBS 8 reached out to Hughes for comment. A spokesperson released the following statement:
“Although today’s events bring finality for Jason Hughes, his family, and the Hughes Marino team, it is important to remember the facts about Jason’s role on the Civic Center Plaza and 101 Ash Street transactions between 2013 and 2016. Jason acted in good faith to support the City of San Diego during a time of significant uncertainty and urgent need for the City. Six senior City officials involved in the transactions approved Jason’s compensation plan, culminating with a written agreement signed by the City’s Director of Real Estate at the specific direction of the then-Mayor and his Chief of Staff. This compensation agreement was the only written agreement Jason ever had with the City. While Jason was prepared to put forth a vigorous defense at trial, he has concluded it is in his best interest to settle all claims against him in order to avoid the heavy cost and ongoing distraction of protracted litigation. Jason looks forward to being able to fully focus his time and resources on Hughes Marino’s continued national success, his family, and the San Diego community.”