LOS ANGELES
A federal grand jury indicted a former Sheriff’s deputy for his involvement in the violent beating of a handcuffed man at the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, officials said today.
He is the six person to be indicted for participating in the alleged cover-up
Byron Dredd, 33, who is no longer with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, was named in a three-count indictment that charges him with conspiracy to violate the victim’s civil rights and two counts of making false reports.
“The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable individuals who abuse their positions as law enforcement officers by committing crimes or by trying to cover them up,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “While this former deputy sheriff allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the civil rights of a man who had to be hospitalized after he was beaten by other deputies, his actions should not reflect on the good work performed by the overwhelming majority of Los Angeles deputy sheriffs.”
Five other former deputies have been convicted in relation to the 2011 attack and are pending sentencing
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, and is one in a series of cases resulting from an investigation into corruption and civil rights abuses at county jail facilities in downtown Los Angeles.
As a result of the investigation, 15 current or former members of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department have now been convicted of federal charges, according to officials.
These are the allegations against the defendant:
- Dredd, along with the other defendants previously convicted, was assigned to the Visiting Center at Men’s Central Jail. On February 26, 2011, the victim and his girlfriend went to the jail to visit the victim’s incarcerated brother.
- Both visitors had cell phones in their possession, which is prohibited under jail rules.
- When the phones were discovered, the victim was handcuffed and brought into an employee break room, where he was beaten and sprayed with a burning agent similar to pepper spray.
- The victim was later transferred to the hospital by paramedics.
- As a result of false statements made by the previously convicted deputies and allegedly made by Dredd, the victim was charged with several crimes, including resisting an officer and battery.
- The indictment alleges that Dredd wrote an incident report in which he falsely claimed that the victim attacked one of the deputies and then attempted to escape.
The defendant is presumed guilty until proven guilty.
Officials said Dredd is facing a maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison – up to 10 years for the civil rights conspiracy, up to 20 years for the falsification of records, and up to five years for making false statements to the FBI.
In April, the sheriff’s department settled a class-action lawsuit involving alleged beating of inmates by deputies.
(Below: July 2015 News Report)