A former Red Bluff City Councilman who pleaded guilty to several felonies has been given a year in jail. 44-year-old Suren Patel was extradited from Florida in 2016 after being arrested while apparently trying to flee the country. Patel was appointed to the Red Bluff City Council to fill a vacant seat near the end of 2014. As owner of America’s Best Value Inn in Red Bluff, Patel was required to pay a bed tax to the city. He failed to pay Thousands of Dollars in taxes and also fraudulently charged $6000 to a guest’s credit card. The investigation into Patel began with allegations that he failed to pay Workers Compensation Insurance and that he collected rent from tenants on public housing assistance. Patel no longer owns the motel. On Thursday Patel was sentenced to a suspended 5-year-8-month prison sentence, 364 days in jail, 80 hours of community service, and he must pay $12,500 in restitution. He’s on probation for 5 years and if he violates it he could go to prison for 8 years.