Lodi City Council candidate to appear in court Monday

Shakir “Shak” Khan, a candidate for Lodi City Council’s District 4 seat, will appear in San Joaquin County Superior Court on Monday at 1:30 p.m. to face charges of money laundering, conspiracy and illegally operating a gambling establishment, according to court spokeswoman Stephanie Bohrer.

A courtroom for Khan’s arraignment had not been assigned Thursday, she said.

Khan, 30, was arrested Oct. 28 by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office and booked into San Joaquin County Jail on $225,000 bail. He was released later in the day.

His arrest comes just days before the Nov. 3 election in which he is one of three candidates trying to unseat incumbent JoAnne Mounce.

The City of Lodi issued a statement Thursday that said “the candidate has not lost any constitutional right to run for and hold office, as a result of the arrest.”

The city said it understands the arrest raises additional questions about the upcoming election, but, it does not and will not comment on the ongoing criminal proceedings or any potential repercussions.

However, the city said staff will continue to monitor the proceedings and comment when appropriate.

Khan did not respond to phone or email inquiries seeking comment.

The Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday said it had been investigating a number of illegal gambling establishments throughout the county in recent weeks, and a search warrant had been served at Khan’s business, American Smokers Club on Waterloo Road in Stockton in September.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Khan claimed other people owned the business during the investigation.

Ramon Yepez, another candidate running in District 4, said the arrest was surprising.

“I don’t know him at all, I just know he’s running, too,” Yepez said. “But I’ve been out

talking to voters this whole week as a last push, and when I heard about it, I was shocked.”

Yepez said he didn’t know how the news of Khan’s arrest might affect election night.

“It probably won’t affect it a great deal,” he said. “I think it might affect the decisions of the undecided voters who will vote on Tuesday inperson. But each candidate has their own base they know will vote for them.”

Natalie Bowman’s campaign issued a statement that asks residents not to cast judgment on Khan or the circumstances of his arrest.

“It is with a heavy heart that we respond to the multiple requests for comment on this matter. We encourage all to remember

that an arrest is not the same as a conviction, and that every person deserves their day in court,” the statement read. “We also encourage others to remember that Mr. Khan has a wife, children, and family, and that the sensationalism of Mr. Khan’s arrest affects those who love him, too. We wish his family peace during this difficult time.”

This is not the first time Khan will face a judge to answer charges of illegally operating a gambling establishment, according to court records.

Khan was arrested on Aug. 12, 2019 on suspicion of possession or control of slot machines and permitting an unlawful use of a room or enclosure, the latter of which a fine of $400 was paid. There was an additional charge of disorderly conduct: invasion of privacy with

cameras in a restroom.

The case was listed as closed as of Nov. 25, 2019.

A codefendant in the case — Adolphus Tolver — filed a civil suit against Khan in January, seeking $5,000 in damages for “pain and suffering,” according to court records.

In the complaint, Tolver listed Khan as owner and operator of a property located at 2620 Waterloo Road in Stockton — the address of the American Smokers Club.

Tolver filed a request to dismiss the case in February, according to court records.

In 2017, Khan was involved in a lawsuit regarding the Hyphy Smokers Club in Stockton.

According to court documents, Khan attempted to buy the business from an Ahmad Shakeel in 2013 for $115,000. A deal had been worked out where Khan would make a down payment of $75,000, with

$3,000 monthly payments thereafter, according to a complaint he filed.

Khan claimed Shakeel and other defendants concealed an ongoing investigation by the State Board of Equalization into their tobacco products and inventory in 2014 and 2015 by asking him for the entire $115,000 in full.

The entire store’s inventory was seized in December 2015, the complaint states, and Khan borrowed money to restock the supply.

In 2016, he entered into a commercial sub-lease agreement with Shakeel,

and after a year of rental disputes, Shakeel sued Khan for unlawful detainer and to have him removed from the building.

Shakeel filed a request to dismiss the suit and the case was closed as of February 2018.

It is during this time that Khan has claimed he was hired as an intelligence contractor with the U.S. Army overseas.

The Army said it could not verify the employment status of a contract worker, and that the company for which Khan worked would need to be contacted to verify his

employment.

In the biography on his campaign website, Khan simply states he was hired as a contractor, with no identification of an employer.

Khan did not file any campaign contribution forms with the Lodi City Clerk’s Office until Sept. 30. He filed an addendum on Oct. 21. Both forms list the only transaction as a $25,000 loan he gave himself on July 18.

He spent $12,590 of that on billboards, $4,014 on signs and stakes, and another $2,242 on social media.