Stockton Mayor Arrested On Multiple Charges
STOCKTON (CBS SF) -- Anthony Silva, the mayor of Stockton, has been arrested on multiple charges Thursday morning including suspicion of eavesdropping or recording confidential conversations and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
CBS Sacramento reported that Silva was arrested while attending a youth camp he hosts for underprivileged kids at the Silver Lake campground in Amador County. He was arrested by FBI at the camp with the help of the Amador County District Attorney's Office.
• ALSO READ: Legal Complaint Against Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva (.pdf)
A court website lists that Silva was arrested on suspicion of eavesdropping on or recording confidential communications, a felony.
Silva was also arrested on suspicion of three misdemeanor counts: contributing to the delinquency of a minor, furnishing an alcoholic beverage to a minor and cruelty to child by endangering health.
According to a statement from the Amador County District Attorney's office, a search warrant executed on Silva's cellphone led to an audio recording of an alleged strip poker game at the camp in 2015.
The DA's office said the audio indicates one of the participants was a 16-year-old male, the participants were not clothed and that they did not want to be recorded. Silva also allegedly provided alcohol to participants in the game and to underage counselors.
Prosecutors also said there was evidence of another incident where Silva allegedly recorded a conversation with a Stockton city employee without consent.
The Stockton Police Officers Association on Thursday afternoon called for Silva to step down from his job as mayor.
"For the past three and a half years. Mayor Anthony Silva has had misstep after misstep, and they have been shrugged off. This time, it is different," the statement read. "The latest developments over the past two weeks regarding Mayor Anthony Silva and his actions while in office have lead us to the conclusion that he needs to resign as Mayor of Stockton, effective immediately."
Silva has been under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct multiple times, even before he was sworn in as mayor in 2013. When he was a high school water polo coach in 2004, Silva was accused of secretly taping teens in the bathroom of his apartment. Charges were never filed.
Authorities also investigated Silva in 2011 for an alleged rape attempt on a 19-year-old woman when he was president of the Boys and Girls club. In this case, prosecutors did not press charges due to lack of evidence.
The mayor was also investigated by the San Joaquin County District Attorney's office in 2013 after admitting he secretly recorded a conversation with the city manager without his permission.
Last year, Silva was detained at San Francisco International Airport on his way back from a mayor's conference in China and had his electronics seized.
The mayor could face more legal trouble after a gun stolen from his rental home in 2015 was used in two crimes, including the murder of a 13-year-old boy.
Silva was booked into the Amador County Jail and posted bail Thursday afternoon.
It is unclear when Silva would appear in court.
The mayor is also being accused of being uncooperative with officials investigating a murder.
13-year-old Rayshawn Harris was shot and killed last year.
Officials say the gun used to kill him once belonged to Silva.
Silva says it was stolen from his home. However, he didn't report the theft until a month after Harris' death.
The Stockton district attorney's office says Silva refused to talk to investigators about the missing gun for weeks.
Silva's political consultant denies the claim.
