CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — Michael Kulikoff, California City's mayor pro tem, arrested and faces federal charges involving his place of business, his car wash.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Shocking news out of Cal City, where Mayor Pro Tem Michael Kulikoff was arrested on Tuesday on federal indictment charges.
I’m Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
Kulikoff did not return texts or phone calls. Cal City Mayor Marquette Hawkins says the city is in the process of gathering information before making any formal response.
Michael Kulikoff, California City’s Mayor Pro Tem, was charged with conspiracy to transport and cause to be transported a hazardous waste without a manifest and placing another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.
According to court documents, in February of 2024, Kulikoff learned that a mercury exposure incident had occurred at his car wash business. An individual had spilled a jar containing several ounces of mercury inside the cabin of a sports utility vehicle and had attempted to clean up the mercury using a vacuum cleaner.
The individual then drove the contaminated SUV to a residence in Cal City, where he called 911 because he was experiencing symptoms related to mercury exposure.
Investigators say Kulikoff conspired with another person to move the contaminated SUV outside of city limits, because the SUV was causing problems for Kulikoff in California City.
This is the second time a federal grand jury has indicted Kulikoff. In May of 2015, he ended up pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and hydromorphone.
I’m Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
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