SANTA MONICA—On Monday, August 30, a 56-year-old man accused of illegally promoting a billboard at a vacant office building he owns near the Los Angeles International Airport was taken into custody.

Siamak Rahimi, of Santa Monica, is suspected of violating safety and fire code citations in posting his advertisement.  A ban issued by the City Council in 2010 prohibits advertisements that fail to abide by city laws.  The property address noted in the complaint against Rahimi includes his office building and its parking structure located at 9300 South Sepulveda Boulevard.  Because the building was located across the street from the airport, and because of the high level of traffic near the building, the supergraphics were considered a danger to to public safety and to safe operations of LAX.

According to a press release e-mailed by Jenaro Batiz-Romero, Public Information Officer of the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, to Canyon News, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety and the Los Angeles Fire Department issued several safety building and fire code violations to Rahimi and his co-defendants, LAX Enterprises, LP, and Westside Investment Group.  When the defendants reportedly failed to respond, the City Attorney's Criminal Branch filed the following 48 misdemeanor charges against each of them:  12 counts of illegally constructing a supergraphic sign; 12 counts of illegally maintaining an off-site sign; 12 counts of blocking fire department and emergency ingress and egress from the building; and 12 counts for failure to identify the person or entity responsible for installing and maintaining the supergraphic signs.  Each of the charges carry a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Rahimi was released later on in the day he was arrested after he posted his $75,000 bail.  The prosecutor in the case is Deputy City Attorney Jacquelyn Lawson.

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