Posted on: September 4, 2023, 07:35h.
Final up to date on: September 4, 2023, 12:42h.
The Los Angeles District Legal professional’s Workplace is not going to prosecute an L.A. County deputy alleged to have stolen $500 in poker chips from an unnamed skilled participant, The L.A. Occasions studies.
The participant in query initially reported the incident, however later withdrew his cooperation. He stated he “can be placing his life in peril” if he continued to help investigators, in accordance with a memo from the DA’s Workplace seen by the Occasions.
The alleged sufferer claimed he feared retribution from “deputy gangs,” together with one he referred to as “Los Banditos.”
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Division (LASD) has had a well-documented drawback with gangs for the reason that Seventies. As we speak, it’s believed the division has no less than 18 deputy gangs who deal in corruption and violence, in accordance with a 2021 Loyola Legislation College report.
The Banditos
The deputy investigated over the alleged poker chip theft, Braulio Robledo, has beforehand been described in two lawsuits as a member of the Banditos, per the Occasions.
The alleged sufferer left the Commerce On line casino at round 3 a.m. on January 2, 2020, in accordance with the DA’s Workplace memo. On his means house, he was pulled over by a deputy for an expired registration.
The deputy searched the gambler for weapons, then put him behind his patrol SUV whereas he performed a search of his automobile. The deputy then let the gambler go together with a warning.
It was solely later the gambler realized that $500 in poker chips was lacking from his bag. He referred to as East L.A. sheriff’s station to report the incident.
The three deputies patrolling the world that night time all denied making the cease. However safety video cameras near the incident picked up the SUV. Robledo was the one deputy within the space driving an SUV, in accordance with the memo.
No Witness
An LASD spokesperson advised the Occasions Friday that Robledo had been positioned on administrative depart. He remains to be the topic of an inner investigation, however they may not say whether or not he was nonetheless receiving pay.
“The Sheriff’s Division holds every of its members to the best requirements and expects them to behave with integrity and professionalism,” the division stated. “Any worker that violates the general public’s belief and engages in misconduct will probably be investigated and held accountable.”
The DA’s workplace stated in its memo that with out a cooperating witness, it couldn’t show “past an affordable doubt” that the deputy had stolen the poker chips.
In 2018, alleged members of the Banditos have been accused of beating a number of youthful deputies at an after-station get together, knocking two unconscious. In subsequent civil fits, Robledo was accused of serving to to instigate the violence, whereas not collaborating in it.