{"id":11952,"date":"2015-05-14T12:38:51","date_gmt":"2015-05-14T19:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=11952"},"modified":"2015-05-14T14:51:07","modified_gmt":"2015-05-14T21:51:07","slug":"l-a-sheriffs-former-no-2-indicted-for-allegedly-obstructing-fbis-jail-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=11952","title":{"rendered":"L.A. Sheriff’s Former No. 2 Indicted for Allegedly Obstructing FBI’s Jail Probe"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/a>
Paul Tanaka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The former second-in-command of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and a former Sheriff’s Captain were indicted for allegedly obstructing an FBI investigation into jail corruption, beatings and abuse of inmates at the two downtown jail complexes, officials said Thursday at a press conference.<\/p>\n

Undersheriff\u00a0Paul Tanaka<\/strong> along with former Capt.\u00a0William Thomas “Tom” Carey<\/strong>, who oversaw internal criminal investigations at the Sheriff’s Department, were charged with allegedly trying to quash a federal investigation into corruption and civil rights violations by sheriff’s deputies.<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/a>
William Thomas Carey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A federal grand jury on Wednesday returned a five-count indictment against high-ranking Sheriff’s deputies<\/a>\u00a0against Tanaka and Carey, who allegedly participated in a broad conspiracy to obstruct the investigation.<\/p>\n

When the Sheriff’s Department learned that an inmate at Men’s Central Jail was an FBI informant,\u00a0\u00a0Tanaka and Carey allegedly ordered the inmate transferred throughout the jail system so federal investigators couldn’t find him to bring him before a grand jury to testify about jail corruption and the use of excessive force.<\/p>\n

In September, six deputies who were working in the Los Angeles Sheriff\u2019s Department each were sentenced to federal prison terms for\u00a0interfering with a federal civil rights investigation into misconduct at the Men\u2019s Central Jail, American Justice Notebook Report<\/a><\/p>\n

The case against Tanaka and Carey, both 56, was outlined at a press conference by Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Yonekura<\/strong> and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Tanaka was the undersheriff \u2013 the number 2 in the LASD \u2013 until 2013. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for sheriff last year. Carey left the LASD after reaching the rank of captain and heading the Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau, officials said.<\/p>\n

The two defendants are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.<\/p>\n

The FBI investigation resulted in 21 defendants, who held various ranks at the Sheriff’s Department, being charged, including the deputy who took the bribe to smuggle the phone and seven co-conspirators in the scheme to obstruct justice<\/p>\n

According to the indictment that was unsealed this morning, the two defendants were well aware of \u201cproblem deputies\u201d at the jails, \u201callegations of rampant abuse of inmates,\u201d and \u201cinsufficient internal investigations\u201d into deputy misconduct.<\/p>\n

But against this backdrop, Tanaka allegedly told deputies assigned to the jails to work in a \u201cgray area\u201d and that he thought that the LASD Internal Affairs Bureau should be reduced from 45 investigators to just one.<\/p>\n

The two defendants are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, and each is named in one count of obstruction of justice. Carey is charged with two counts of making false statements, committing perjury last year during the trials of co-conspirators, officials.<\/p>\n

Tanaka and Carey surrendered to the FBI early this morning. The two men are expected to be arraigned on the indictment later today in U.S. District Court.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the allegations demonstrate, Tanaka had a large role in institutionalizing certain illegal behavior within the Sheriff\u2019s Department,\u201d said Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Yonekura.<\/strong> \u201cThis case also illustrates how leaders who foster and then try to hide a corrupt culture, will be held accountable, just like their subordinates.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These are the allegations outlines in the indictment that was unsealed this morning:<\/strong><\/p>\n