Valencia man among those sentenced
for Obstructing Federal Civil Rights Investigation
LOS ANGELES – Six sworn
deputies who were working in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department each were
sentenced today to federal prison terms for interfering with a federal civil
rights investigation into misconduct at the Men’s Central Jail.
The six defendants, including a
former lieutenant who lives in Valencia, received prison terms of up to 41
months from a federal judge who said they all lacked “courage to do what is
right” and then failed to show “even the slightest remorse.”
United States District Judge
Percy Anderson issued the sentences after a federal jury determined that the
defendants, including two lieutenants, attempted to influence witnesses,
threatened an FBI agent with arrest and concealed an FBI informant who should
have been turned over to federal authorities.
All six of the defendants were
convicted of participating in a broad conspiracy to obstruct justice, a plot
that began in the summer of 2011 after they learned that a jail inmate was an
FBI informant and was acting as a cooperator in a federal investigation into
corruption and civil rights violations at the jail.
“Blind obedience to a corrupt
culture has serious consequences,” Judge Anderson told the defendants before
ordering each of them to begin prison sentences in the coming months.
Acting United States Attorney
Stephanie Yonekura stated: “In their corrupt attempt to shield the Sheriff’s
Department from scrutiny, these deputies brought scandal and shame to
themselves and their department. These deputies decided to impede a federal
investigation, and in doing so they threw away their careers and their freedom.
These law enforcement officers have now been held accountable for their
unlawful actions.”
The defendants who were sentenced
today are:
• Gregory Thompson, 54, a
now-retired lieutenant who oversaw LASD’s Operation Safe Jails Program, who was
ordered to serve 37 months in prison and to pay a $7,500 fine;
• Lieutenant Stephen Leavins,
52, of Valencia, who was assigned to the LASD’s Internal Criminal
Investigations Bureau, who received a 41-month prison sentence;
• Gerard Smith, 42, a deputy
who was assigned to the Operation Safe Jails Program, who was ordered to serve
21 months in prison;
• Mickey Manzo, 34, a deputy
who was assigned to the Operation Safe Jails Program, who received a 24-month
sentence;
• Scott Craig, 50, a sergeant
who was assigned to the Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau, who was
sentenced to 33 months; and
• Maricela Long, 46, a sergeant
who assigned to the Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau, who received a
sentence of two years in federal prison.
Following the completion of
their prison sentences, each defendant will serve one year on supervised
release.
“Interference with a federal
investigation cannot be tolerated,” said Bill Lewis, the Assistant Director in
Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The sentences imposed today
allow us to move forward toward an environment of mutual trust and the common
goal of delivering justice to victims of crime. I look forward to continued
collaboration with our trusted partners at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department.”
All six were found guilty on
July 1 after a jury heard evidence about how the defendants learned that an
inmate received a cellular phone from a deputy sheriff who took a bribe and
that the inmate was part of a federal civil rights and corruption
investigation. The deputies took affirmative steps to hide the cooperator from
the FBI and the United States Marshals Service, which were attempting to bring
the inmate into federal custody pursuant to an order issued by a federal judge.
As part of the conspiracy, records were altered to make it appear as if the
cooperator had been released, but he was re-booked under different names.
The deputies also engaged in
witness tampering by attempting to influence witnesses to not cooperate with
the federal grand jury investigation, including the informant and the sheriff’s
deputy who had taken a bribe to smuggle the cell phone into the jail.
Over the course of several
weeks, the defendants sought an order from a Los Angeles Superior Court judge
that would have compelled the FBI to turn over information about its
investigation to LASD. After the judge refused to issue such an order, based on
a lack of jurisdiction, Craig and Long confronted an FBI special agent at her
residence in an attempt to intimidate her into providing details about the
investigation and to try to deter the FBI from conducting the federal
investigation. The sergeants falsely told the special agent, and later her
supervisor, that they were obtaining a warrant for her arrest.
Speaking of the confrontation
at the special agent’s home, Judge Anderson said it was one of the most
striking incidents related to the obstruction conspiracy, particularly because
it was videotaped. “They did this to scare and intimidate the FBI…and they
intended to obstruct justice,” the judge said.
In addition to the conspiracy
count, all six deputies were convicted of obstruction of justice offenses.
Craig and Long were also found guilty of making false statements to the FBI
agent and to her supervisor about seeking a warrant for her arrest.
Thompson, Craig and Leavins are
no longer with the Sheriff’s Department. Smith is on approved leave. Manzo and
Long, according to the Sheriff’s Department, were relieved of duty without pay
in December 2013.
