A FORMER Westminster planning commissioner has been convicted of federal bribery charges.

Dave Vo, 43, a former member of the Westminster Planning Commission, was convicted late Thursday of federal charges of having accepted bribes to help a client obtain a liquor license.

According to the U.S District Attorney’s office for the Central District of California, Vo served on the commission from early 2009 to early 2013. In 2011 he solicited a $15,000 bribe from an informant and received cash payments for helping tfor “pushing” the license through the city’s approval process.

Vo, an attorney, was tried in federal court because the case was involved in a program receiving federal funds. The charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He is free on bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8.

According to the U.S. Attorney, during the three-day trial the jury heard audio recordings of Vo soliciting the bribes, and saw video images of the payments being made.