Ex-Police Officer Slapped with Prison Sentence for Bribe-Taking

An ex-police officer from Santa Ana received a one-year and one-day federal prison sentence on April 22 for taking a bribe of over $100,000 from a crime figure who was interested in steering law enforcement clear from his gambling businesses that were working outside the law.

The 31-year-old from Chino was also slapped with a $20,000 fine and will be serving one year in supervised release after prison, according to information from the US Attorney’s Office.

The former California cop was facing a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The Ex-Cop Pleaded Guilty to One Bribery Felony 

Between August 2019 and November 2020, the former police officer accepted a total of $128,000 in bribes from the crime figure who has remained anonymous but was named “Co-Schemer 1” in December 2020, when the ex-cop agreed to plead guilty in downtown Los Angeles to one felony count of bribery. 

In exchange, the latter received the promise that the ex-cop would prevent law enforcement officers from performing any inspections, searches, or activity shutdowns of his illegal gambling operations.

According to court documents, the former police officer was officially on duty and wearing his uniform in a minimum of two instances when he took the bribe money from the crime figure. 

One of the instances was recorded on September 14, 2019, late in the evening, when the two met on the top floor of a parking lot across the street from the Police Department’s headquarters in Santa Ana.

The former police officer admitted that, during the September meeting, he accepted the $5,000 payment from “Co-Schemer 1” that he had previously solicited.

Before that, in August, the ex-cop accepted $16,000 in bribes from “Co-Schemer 1,” according to the plea agreement.

Moreover, on the evening of November 2, the ex-cop who was once again on duty and driving an SAPD-marked car, met “Co-Schemer 1” at the corner of First and Fairview streets and took a bribe payment of $2,500.

Full Cooperation With the FBI

According to information from the Santa Ana police, at the time when the former cop pleaded guilty, they fully cooperated with the FBI and offered all the assistance they needed to make sure that “justice is served.” 

Besides the FBI, the matter was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Santa Ana Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the California Department of Justice.

The former cop joined the police force in April 2016. He was placed on administrative leave in December 2020 when he was charged.

Last June, a former Illinois senator admitted his role in a sweepstake-related bribery scandal.