CA - A dozen-plus L.A. County deputies face arrest in jail abuse probe

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...1209,0,6429444.story?Ewrererere#axzz2n0Z8qAKn

More than a dozen current and former "sworn officers" from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are expected to be arrested as part of a wide-ranging investigation into allegations of abuse and misconduct inside the county's jails, according to sources familiar with the arrests.

At least three people — including a lieutenant, a sergeant and a deputy — were taken into custody by FBI agents as part of a federal obstruction of justice probe into how sheriff's officials handled an FBI informant at the center of the jail investigation, one source familiar with the probe said......

The arrests followed grand jury hearings into whether sheriff's officials hid inmate Anthony Brown from his FBI handlers. At least one witness testified that sheriff's officials moved the inmate and changed his name in an attempt to hide him from federal agents, and that top officials in the department played a role in the plan, according to another source familiar with the grand jury testimony.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...rrests-20131209,0,6429444.story#ixzz2n0c0wBkT

Brown was compiling info on abuse in the jail for the FBI.

FBI arresting LA County sheriff's deputies in jail probe

http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2013/12/fbi_arresting_la_county_s.php

Thanks, fran! From your link:

Noon update: NBC's Andrew Blankstein says that in all 18 deputies "were either arrested without incident or were expected to surrender Monday to agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation....None of those arrested ranked higher than lieutenant."

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Well, remember Christopher Dorner? His manifesto. They were going to investigate LAPD. I'm not in anyway condoning what that man did, btw.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/2...xt-read-the-full-christopher-dorner-manifesto

Dr. Know? said:

Well, remember Christopher Dorner? His manifesto. They were going to investigate LAPD. I'm not in anyway condoning what that man did, btw.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/2...xt-read-the-full-christopher-dorner-manifesto

Click to expand...

Oh boy, do it remember it! I started the original thread when the first 2 people were killed in the parking lot and nobody knew what was going on.

I don't condone anything he did but maybe it did cause LE to look into some of the things he said.

Dorner was LAPD and this is LA County Sheriff. Although they at times work or co-ordinate together, LAPD is just within city limits and Sheriff is County wide and maintains the jail. LAPD wears black uniforms and Sheriff is light brown or kinda beige. Members of each department do not have authority over the other. There's a police chief for LAPD, and then the Sheriff (head sheriff) is an elected official.

FWIW, from my link above, there's supposed to be a news conference this afternoon at 3:30.

JMHO
fran



http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2013/12/fbi_arresting_la_county_s.php

12:45 update: Sheriff Lee Baca has called a 3:30 news conference at headquarters in Monterey Park.

18 Los Angeles sheriff's officials indicted, accused of abuse, obstruction

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...onduct-20131209,0,6914608.story#ixzz2n1SqiJ1Q

18 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies indicted in FBI jail probe
About 16 of the 18 current and former sheriff’s deputies were arrested by the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation of inmate abuse in the nation’s largest jail system. The arrests were allegedly related to the abuse and allegations that sheriff’s officials moved an FBI informant in the jails to thwart their probe.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...bi-jail-probe-article-1.1542319#ixzz2n1ThSPR9

fran said:

Dorner was LAPD and this is LA County Sheriff. Although they at times work or co-ordinate together, LAPD is just within city limits and Sheriff is County wide and maintains the jail. LAPD wears black uniforms and Sheriff is light brown or kinda beige. Members of each department do not have authority over the other. There's a police chief for LAPD, and then the Sheriff (head sheriff) is an elected official.

FWIW, from my link above, there's supposed to be a news conference this afternoon at 3:30.

JMHO
fran

http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2013/12/fbi_arresting_la_county_s.php


12:45 update: Sheriff Lee Baca has called a 3:30 news conference at headquarters in Monterey Park.

Click to expand...

Thanks, fran, for the explanation about the 2 depts.

BunnyHop said:

18 Los Angeles sheriff's officials indicted, accused of abuse, obstruction

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...onduct-20131209,0,6914608.story#ixzz2n1SqiJ1Q

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Also from your link, read the documents:

http://documents.latimes.com/jails-under-scrutiny/

Wow, they had their own little kingdom set up and just arrested and abused whoever they wanted, even visitors to inmates.

OMG, they even unlawfully arrested an Austrian diplomat! Sounds like that department was rotten to the core.

holy crap!

don't mess with the FBI kids

:notgood:

Sheriff Baca Defends Department On LA Sheriff's Officers Charged with Crimes In Jail Abuse Case

LOS ANGELES (Fox 11/AP) -- Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca says he's troubled by the charges against 18 current and former deputies who have been arrested as part of an FBI investigation into allegations of civil rights abuses and corruption in the nation's largest jail system.

Read more: http://www.myfoxla.com/story/241744...e-on-sheriff-department-arrests#ixzz2n1splwdU

Deputies Considered Selves ‘Above the Law,’ U.S. Atty Says of Jail Probe

Four grand jury indictments and a criminal complaint were unveiled after 16 of the defendants were taken into custody Monday morning, most of them at Sheriff’s Department facilities, authorities said.

The FBI’s “wide-ranging” investigation was continuing into alleged corruption and civil rights abuses at downtown L.A. jail facilities, André Birotte Jr. , U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

Read more: http://ktla.com/2013/12/09/fbi-arre...-misconduct-probe-of-l-a-jails/#ixzz2n1tU6LBb



FWIW, please keep in mind the LA Sheriff Dept has 10K employees. This is only 18 of their personnel.

JMHO
fran

LOS ANGELES – Federal officials on Monday unsealed five criminal cases filed against 18 current and former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies as part of an FBI investigation into allegations of civil rights abuses and corruption in the nation's largest jail system.

The charges were announced at a press conference after 16 of 18 defendants were arrested earlier in the day. They were expected to be arraigned later in U.S. District Court.

"These incidents did not take place in a vacuum -- in fact, they demonstrated behavior that had become institutionalized," said U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. "The pattern of activity alleged in the obstruction of justice case shows how some members of the Sheriff's Department considered themselves to be above the law."

Four grand jury indictments and a criminal complaint allege unjustified beatings of jail inmates and visitors at downtown Los Angeles jail facilities, unjustified detentions and a conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation into misconduct at the Men's Central Jail.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/09/7-los-angeles-sheriff-deputies-arrested-in-jail-investigation/

Some of what they're accused of is unbelievable!!

United States v. Brunsting and Branum: Two deputies, Bryan Brunsting and Jason Branum, are accused of violating the civil rights of two inmates through excessive force, and then creating false reports to cover up the abuse.

United States v. Gonzalez, et al: A sergeant and four deputies are charged with civil rights violations related to illegal arrests or detentions of five victims, including a member of the staff of the Austrian consul general, who were visiting inmates at Men's Central Jail. According to the indictment, Sgt. Eric Gonzalez fostered an atmosphere "that encouraged and tolerated abuses of the law, including through the use of unjustified force and unreasonable searches and seizures."

In one incident, the indictment alleges that a man who came to visit his brother suffered a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder that left him permanently disabled. The victim, Gabriel Carrillo, was also allegedly thrown into a refrigerator in the employee break room. He was then held for five days before being released.

Carrillo's attorney says the deputies made up a story that he was resisting arrest. Attorney Ron Kaye says the evidence showed Carrillo was handcuffed the entire time.

The four deputies named in the indictment are Sussie Ayala, Fernando Luviano, Pantamitr Zunggeemoge and Noel Womack.

United States v. Thompson, et al.: The FBI alleges that sheriff's deputies at Men's Central Jail hid an FBI informant, identified as Anthony Brown, and made him essentially unavailable to his FBI handlers for several weeks. Brown is a convicted armed robber who was working with the FBI on its investigation into allegations of abuse at Men's Central Jail. He bought a cellphone from a deputy, who has since pleaded guilty to bribery.

United States v. Piquette: Deputy Richard Piquette is accused of illegally building and possessing an assault rifle, an unregistered Noveske Rifleworks N-4 .223 caliber rifle with a barrel length of less than 16 inches.

United States v. Khounthavong, et al.: Three deputies, who are all brothers, are accused of mortgage fraud. The deputies named in the indictment are Billy Khounthavong, Benny Khounthavong and Johnny Khounthavong.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=9354257

Absolutely outrageous!!

fran said:

Deputies Considered Selves ‘Above the Law,’ U.S. Atty Says of Jail Probe

Four grand jury indictments and a criminal complaint were unveiled after 16 of the defendants were taken into custody Monday morning, most of them at Sheriff’s Department facilities, authorities said.

The FBI’s “wide-ranging” investigation was continuing into alleged corruption and civil rights abuses at downtown L.A. jail facilities, André Birotte Jr. , U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

Read more: http://ktla.com/2013/12/09/fbi-arre...-misconduct-probe-of-l-a-jails/#ixzz2n1tU6LBb



FWIW, please keep in mind the LA Sheriff Dept has 10K employees. This is only 18 of their personnel.

JMHO
fran

Click to expand...

18 too many!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Scandal May Bring New Oversight To LA County Sheriff's Department

Longtime civil rights attorney Connie Rice has been following this week's indictments against officers in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. She says it points to a subculture of corruption within certain units, much like the city's scandal-ridden police department of the 1990s.

In the main downtown jails, sheriff's officers are accused of beating and choking inmates without provocation, harassing visitors and then covering it all up.

"It's like entering the Bastille," says Rice. "It's ancient — you descend down into these concrete bunkers. It really does feel like it's apart from the world. ... It's overcrowded. Inmates have gotten more and more dangerous over the years, and the deputies developed a corresponding culture."

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas says: "At this point in time the Sheriff's Department is essentially left to oversee itself, which is a recipe for disaster."

more at link ............. http://www.npr.org/2013/12/12/25026...ew-oversight-to-la-county-sheriffs-department

LA County Sheriff's Department abuse probe: Informant speaks out

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Anthony Brown, a convicted bank robber, is the inmate informant at the center of the FBI investigation into corruption and abuse at Men's Central Jail.

Brown told Eyewitness News in an exclusive interview that he did inform on the sheriff's department after witnessing alleged corruption, beatings and other wrongdoing.

Brown was in jail for a 2009 crime spree that included a shooting at Farmer Boys restaurant in downtown Los Angeles and robberies at El Pollo Loco, Rite Aid, Denny's, Burger King and at least three banks.

more at link ............. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=9354807

Report: LA County sheriff gave preferential hiring

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department gave preferential hiring treatment to friends and relatives of its employees — even though some had criminal histories — under a special program that allowed top officials to lobby on behalf of applicants, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Under the "Friends of the Sheriff" program, a friend of Sheriff Lee Baca's driver was hired despite having been convicted of misdemeanor sexual battery, and Baca's nephew became a deputy in 2007 even though he had been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and burglary, the Times reported Wednesday (http://lat.ms/JE1bB4 ).

more at link ......... http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/ar...-sheriff-gave-preferential-hiring-5076882.php

Amid Accusations of Department Misconduct, Los Angeles Sheriff Will Step Down

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/u...er-fire-stepping-down-officials-say.html?_r=1

LOS ANGELES — The embattled sheriff of Los Angeles, Lee Baca, announced Tuesday that he would retire at the end of the month and not seek re-election. His announcement ended weeks of speculation about his future amid federal investigations and accusations of widespread misconduct in his department.

“I will go out on my own terms,” Mr. Baca said Tuesday morning during an emotional news conference, flanked by dozens of top deputies. “I know I turn 72 in May. I don’t see myself as the future; I see myself as part of the past. I see it as important to allow the future to run.”

More at link.....

Wow, someone is in a LOT of trouble. As a former cop, I can attest to the fact that that line of work definitely draws a certain unsavory element.....police corruption is definitely a problem in departments.