RIVERSIDE, CA – In an ongoing prosecution of four accused former Riverside County personnel for allegations of bribery, one of the accused individuals late last week pleaded guilty, while the other three are scheduled to begin trial this week.
Indictments handed down included a sheriff’s lieutenant, sergeant and former deputy, as well as a Temecula towing company owner in a bribery scheme. All four of the accused law enforcement officers faced charges, including bribery and conspiracy, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
The indictments allege all of the accused had conspired to direct extra business to a towing firm illegally. Testimony, as noted in the court, heard by the Grand Jury suggested that two of the accused, both affiliated with the Temecula station’s traffic division, utilized DJ’s Towing outside of the established rotation system.
One of the accused, who at the time held a part-time position at the towing company, had misrepresented tows as traffic citations in the department’s computer system in an effort to avoid detection.
All of the accused individuals face multiple felony charges, including accepting a bribe as a public official, altering a computer system and conspiracy.
One accused, as of Friday, pleaded guilty, and was convicted with sentencing set for early June. The accused’s employment with the department ended in August, though it is unclear whether they had resigned or fired.
It has also been revealed that another one of the accused had engaged with a hazardous waste cleanup business without a formal contract with the Sheriff’s Department. In exchange for these services, the accused had allegedly provided another accused with various benefits, including free or discounted vehicles, meals and lodging.
The case, which proceeds the week of June 3, has brought to light new evidence including the praise of their work via a work email, colloquially termed an “attaboy,” referencing towing and illegal street racing in Temecula.
