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Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca will plead guilty today to a single count of making a false statement in connection with a federal investigation into county jails, his attorney said Wednesday.
You will remember that the FBI in 2010 began investigating the civil rights abuses and corruption in the LA County jails, and that Baca's deputies were caught hiding an informant from his federal contacts. A dozen former sheriff's officials have already been convicted, and the criminal trial is upcoming for Baca's then-top deputy in the jails, Paul Tanaka.
Baca always denied knowing anything about abuses in the jail or the evasion with federal investigators, but with questions mounting he announced in 2014 that he would not run for reelection. Tanaka ran instead and was trounced by now-Sheriff Jim McDonnell. Tanaka was indicted by a federal grand jury last year and is set to begin trial next month.
Baca had yet to be charged, but media reports say that Baca will be in federal court today and offer to plead guilty to one charge of making a false statement. His lawyer, Michael Zweibeck, said the deal should mean Baca will spend no more than six months in prison. A federal judge must approve the deal, Zweibeck said.
Here's a 2014 recap by Celeste Fremon in Los Angeles Magazine of how Baca and Tanaka got out of hand.
* Added: George Hofstetter, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, issued the following statement:
Former Sheriff Lee Baca deserves punishment for the charge he pled guilty to today. The plea agreement sends a strong message that no one is above the law. There must be zero tolerance for this type of failed leadership. This by no means undermines the dedication and hard work of the more than 9,000 deputy sheriffs who put their lives on the line protecting L.A. County residents. With this admission of guilt, the environment that created this type of corruption is out of the department and we begin a new day of restoring confidence and trust.
Added: Statement from Sheriff Jim McDonnell:
As I have stated previously when asked about the federal investigation and trial, I have faith in the justice system, and trust that it is assessing the facts of these past events in a fair-minded, accountable manner. I know that the milestones during this series of Federal trials have been difficult for all of us at the Sheriff’s Department to learn about. But most important, I have learned through my personal experience with this proud organization that our deputies and professional staff remain focused and committed to moving forward by continuing to perform their essential public service in a professional and caring manner.
