Assistant county assessor arrested

SAN BERNARDINO — Adam Aleman, the county assessor's second in command, was arrested Monday on six felony counts in connection with fabricating false county records, officials confirmed.


Aleman, 25, was charged with three counts of preparing false evidence and one each of offering forged or altered documents as evidence, destruction of public records and vandalism over $400, according to the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit.


Aleman allegedly tampered with documents submitted to the Grand Jury for its investigation into the assessor’s office and destroyed the hard drive of a laptop computer issued by the county to Assessor Bill Postmus during his tenure as Board of Supervisors.


He was arrested in Rancho Cucamonga at 10:45 Monday without incident and booked into West Valley Detention Center, according to Deputy District Attorney John Goritz. Bail is set at $150,000 and the investigation is ongoing.


The assessor’s communications officer Ted Lehrer issued the following statement in response to the arrest: “This office is just hearing the news regarding the charges issued today against an employee in the office of the County Assessor by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. At a more appropriate time, this office may comment further on these allegations.”


Aleman was put on paid leave April 10, after investigators from the District Attorney raided the assessor’s office, taking pictures and seizing computers.


The arrest preceded Monday’s release of a Grand Jury investigation into the assessor’s office, which uncovered questionable practices by Aleman.


Though it’s against county policy to send or receive messages with political content, the Grand Jury found 91 e-mails over a two-week sampling period that were sent to Aleman by campaign organizations for national political candidates.


The Grand Jury report also states that Aleman did not meet the minimum requirements for his job, which typically include a four-year degree or high school diploma and relevant work experience, but obtained a waiver from the Board of Equalization. To help him obtain his undergraduate degree, the assessor’s office paid more than $8,000 in tuition, which is eight times the amount the county allows and was not directed at training which particularly furthered Aleman’s job skills.


Lehrer’s statement said that the arrest will not interfere with daily functions of the assessor’s office and that they will remain open for business as usual. He said Harlow Cameron will continue to hold the position of assistant assessor, though it’s not yet definitive for how long.


Brooke Edwards may be reached at 955-5358 or at bedwards@vvdailypress.com.