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DiMatteo in jail on bribery, drug charges


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One-time South Lake Tahoe pot club owner and current Push Fitness owner Gino DiMatteo was arrested Aug. 31 on charges of bribing a public official and possession of drugs for sale.

DiMatteo was arrested at the Bank of America branch in South Lake Tahoe. As of 5:25pm he was still being processed at the jail in Placerville. Bail information was not available.

Gino DiMatteo

Search warrants were executed just before noon on Friday at Push Fitness, DiMatteo’s South Lake Tahoe home and at his bank.

El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office is the lead agency. They sent a press release after 5pm today – the Friday of a three-day weekend — alerting the media to the arrest. The person to contact – District Attorney Vern Pierson’s secretary – had left for the day.

South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler and City Manager Nancy Kerry deferred comments to the DA’s Office – even though those people don’t answer their phones after hours.

It is not known what public official DiMatteo is accused of bribing, what the alleged bribe was for, what he was allegedly trying to sell, and what if anything was confiscated from the places the cops searched.

— Kathryn Reed

 

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Comments

Comments (15)
  1. Dick Fox says - Posted: August 31, 2012

    Oh man, I think some big excrement is about to collide with a large oscillating device right here on the wild side in Tahoe South.

  2. 4-mer-usmc says - Posted: August 31, 2012

    Dick Fox,

    That’s way too funny–thanks for the belly laugh!

  3. 4-mer-usmc says - Posted: August 31, 2012

    Hey Gino—who’s Dave?

  4. 30yrlocal says - Posted: August 31, 2012

    I drove by PUSH at 3 pm and was wondering why agents in vests and guns strapped on were going inside.

  5. Kathy says - Posted: August 31, 2012

    The one that ripped everyone off ? What goes around , comes around,He sure shut the city of angels down fast,Run with the money, and poof. On with the show, The Gym? I do not think so.

  6. Alias says - Posted: August 31, 2012

    4-mer-usmc

    You’ve posted on everything, who’s dave, it’s like you follow his online life to post, WHOS DAVE, GET OVER YOURSELF.
    Please and Thank you.

  7. 30yrlocal says - Posted: August 31, 2012

    Does anyone see the irony in the name Push and what he is accused of having for sale?

  8. 4-mer-usmc says - Posted: September 1, 2012

    Alias:

    You’ve made an assumption that I’ve followed his online life when what I really do is follow the City Council meetings where I’ve witnessed this individual speaking before that forum on numerous occasions, and I read the newspapers. It is apparent to me that he does not tell the truth and being Italian-American myself I am embarrassed by his thug like behavior that is an affront to my nationality, while he continually feigns innocence. Maybe it’s time for Gino to go back to Jersey. Gino’s for Gino, as evidenced by how he fingered the other collectives for being out of compliance at the City Council meeting, and I don’t think he really cares about the well-being of this community at all.

    However, you’re certainly entitled to support him, as you obviously do.

  9. Biggerpicture says - Posted: September 1, 2012

    I think in this new world of instant access to posting one’s opinion on a public forum we are walking across a slippery slope as it pertains to a person being tried outside of the legal system. If this individual is guilty of the crimes I’ve seen posted on this forum, presently and in the past, then we would best be served by letting the police and the courts deal with it. If a person feels they have pertinent info about this individual then they should forward that info to the authorities, and NOT air them IN WRITING on this or any other public forum!

    As of late this forum is becoming more productive and less of a mud slinging arena, so let’s all do our part to keep ourselves in check.

  10. lou pierini says - Posted: September 1, 2012

    O J Simpson was not gulity was he innocent?

  11. joe says - Posted: September 1, 2012

    I believe in being innocent before guilty , thats why 12 of your peers, judge you not one corrupt eldo cnty entity,why no bail on such white collar alleged crimes , this was a witch hunt,instead of dealing with the heroin epidemic, they go after a legit business owner , what constitutes bribing a public official? buying them a burger and brew?how is it , that the state funded slednet was cut funding on the first of 2012.? how is it san jose drug task force is dibandonded , yet lil slt still has the cash to fund?? welcome to haZZARD COUNTY , WITH BRUCE GREGO PLAYING BOSS HOG,THIS TOWN IS A SANCTUARY CITY FOR ILLEGAL HEROIN DEALERS,yet legitimatly sick ppl are denied access to medicine. how is twc still open charging 300$ an ounce for shwag?

  12. Steve says - Posted: September 1, 2012

    A major surprise is coming as to who the public official is.

  13. Dogula says - Posted: September 1, 2012

    Medicinal marijuana is bull crap. All it has done is enrich criminals and crooked politicians. Just legalize it and take the money away from these slimy people.

  14. Bogie says - Posted: September 3, 2012

    @Dogula

    Knowing real patients that benefit from medical MJ, I was initially going to disagree with you, but those ARE the rarer cases.

    I do agree with the fact that this is putting more money in the hands of corrupt politicians and legitimize criminal enterprise.

    Full legalization is really the only fix to the problem.

    I guess we’ll have to see how the Colorado and Washington states’ elections go this november and the ensuing showdown with the feds plays out.

  15. itsme says - Posted: September 3, 2012

    What does this story have to do w MMJ?! Gino is obviously in a new business