Khan's sentencing delayed to November [Lodi News-Sentinel, Calif.]

Apr. 30—STOCKTON — A sentencing date for a former Lodi City Council member has been delayed once again.

Shakir Khan was scheduled to be sentenced April 29, but the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office said it been postponed to November.

"We are still working on some procedural issues to complete sentencing," Allen Sawyer, Khan's attorney, said. "Mr. Khan looks forward to moving on and spending time with his family."

In January, Khan pleaded no contest to 71 felonies and six misdemeanors related to illegal gambling, unemployment insurance fraud and election fraud charges.

Originally facing 40 years in prison, Khan agreed to an eight-year suspended sentence for the illegal gambling and unemployment fraud charges brought against him in 2020.

He also agreed to three years in prison on the election fraud charges brought against him last year.

Ultimately, Khan will serve two years in San Joaquin County Jail.

Khan was first arrested in October of 2020, a week before he was elected to the Lodi City Council's 4th District seat.

The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office at the time said he was one of seven arrested during a weeks-long investigation into illegal gambling establishments throughout the county.

According to the 45-page complaint filed against Khan at the time, he had been allowing illegal gambling to occur at the American Smokers Club, located at 2620 E. Waterloo Road in Stockton, between Feb. 14, 2018 and Sept. 7, 2020.

Khan was arrested a second time in February of last year on the voter fraud charges after Sheriff's Office detectives were alerted to irregularities in voter rolls at the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters Office that were tied to Khan's Lodi address.

Investigators found 70 names on the voter rolls were registered to Khan's address, email or cellular phone.

Further investigation found Khan allegedly intimidated Lodi District 4 residents — all of whom are members of the city's Pakistani community — into voting for him.

He allegedly had many of them sign mail-in ballots that he filled out, and registered many of them to vote using his personal email address and cellular phone, according to the Sheriff's Office. In addition, investigators said Khan forged several signatures on his nomination papers needed to run for city council.

Lodi City Councilmember Mikey Hothi visited Khan in county jail the day he was arrested on the election fraud charges and urged him to sign a letter of resignation from his seat. Khan agreed to do so, but 15 minutes later renounced his decision.

He had sued the City of Lodi and the council earlier this year to reclaim his seat.

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