{"id":6042,"date":"2014-09-17T17:00:14","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T00:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=6042"},"modified":"2014-09-17T17:00:18","modified_gmt":"2014-09-18T00:00:18","slug":"former-la-sheriffs-deputy-guilty-obstructing-fbi-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=6042","title":{"rendered":"Former LA Sheriff’s Deputy Guilty of Obstructing FBI Investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"James<\/a>
Photo Image: Southern California Public Radio of James Sexton in the middle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LOS ANGELES \u2013 <\/strong>A deputy in the Los Angeles Sheriff\u2019s Department who obstructed an FBI investigation was found guilty Tuesday of obstruction of justice for interfering with a grand jury investigation into the misconduct at the Men’s Central Jail, officials said.<\/p>\n

James Sexton becomes the seventh sworn officer to be found guilty of attempting to quash an investigation by the FBI into civil rights abuses at jail facilities operated by the Sheriff\u2019s Department.<\/p>\n

Sexton is facing up to 15 years in federal prison when he is sentenced in December.<\/p>\n

As a result of today\u2019s convictions, Sexton faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on December 1 by United States District Judge Percy Anderson.<\/p>\n

The jury determined that Sexton was part of a broad conspiracy to obstruct justice \u2013 a plot in which conspirators, 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis case involves a select group of Sheriff\u2019s Deputies who were tasked with ensuring safety and security within the jails, but they violated the law by trying to protect their department from federal scrutiny,\u201d said Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Yonekura. \u201cThis case, which has now resulted the conviction of all seven charged, proves those who tarnish their badge and their oath will be brought to justice.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The conspiracy to obstruct justice began in the summer of 2011 after sheriff\u2019s deputies assigned to the Men\u2019s Central Jail 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.<\/p>\n

The evidence showed that the defendants learned that the inmate received a cellular phone from a deputy sheriff who took a bribe and that the inmate was part of a federal civil rights investigation.<\/p>\n

Those involved in the obstruction scheme took affirmative steps to hide the cooperator from the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, which was attempting to bring the inmate into federal custody pursuant to an order issued by a federal judge.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The jury heard evidence that Sexton, who was part of a gang intelligence unit called Operation Safe Jails, changed the name of the informant in the jail computer system and changed his booking number, which allowed members of the conspiracy to hide the informant from the FBI.<\/p>\n

Assistant U.S. Atty. Lizabeth Rhodes told jurors in closing arguments Tuesday the federal probe was necessary because the Sheriff’s Department-run jails had a “systemic, overarching, major and widespread problem \u2026 a pattern of abuse, coverup, abuse and coverup,” \u00a0according to the Los Angeles Times.<\/a><\/p>\n

“These potential thugs and criminals had a badge,” she said.<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Times reported that Sexton’s attorney, former U.S. Atty. Thomas O’Brien, countered that his client was an “inexperienced, eager deputy” in a quasi-military organization carrying out orders from above. He asked jurors to consider those who weren’t facing charges, including then-Sheriff Lee Baca and his second-in-command, Paul Tanaka, now a candidate for sheriff in the November election.<\/p>\n

“Like many foot soldiers, [Sexton] didn’t get to sit in on the meeting with the generals,” O’Brien argued.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES \u2013 A deputy in the Los Angeles Sheriff\u2019s Department who obstructed an FBI investigation was found guilty Tuesday of obstruction of justice for interfering with a grand jury investigation into…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6046,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,16],"tags":[874,875],"class_list":["post-6042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fbi","category-home-main-slider","tag-los-angeles-deputy","tag-obstruction-of-justice"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer LA Sheriff's Deputy Guilty of Obstructing FBI Investigation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"LOS ANGELES \u2013 A deputy in the Los Angeles Sheriff\u2019s Department who obstructed an FBI investigation was found guilty Tuesday of obstruction of justice for\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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