phill4paul
02-26-2014, 08:37 AM
The prosecutor in a rural California agricultural community says that police officers there preyed upon the poor, impounding their cars then selling the vehicles when the owners couldn't afford the fees.
Six officers, including the former police chief of King City and his acting replacement, were arrested Tuesday in the corruption scheme, as was the owner of a towing company.
Monterey County District Attorney Dean D. Flippo said the alleged scheme worked liked this: Sgt. Bobby Carrillo would impound a vehicle -- at least 200 of them -- and, though he was supposed to equally use one of four towing companies, he would call Miller's Towing 87% of the time. Carrillo targeted poor Latinos who couldn't pay the money required to retrieve their vehicles, prosecutors alleged.
Brian Miller, the tow company owner, would provide the unclaimed vehicles to Carrillo, Flippo said in a news release.
Many of the cars and trucks were sold by the officers, who kept other vehicles for personal use, prosecutors said. The FBI aided in the arrests.
Carrillo was charged with conspiracy, bribery and accepting a bribe.
Former chief Nick Baldiviez and Officer Mario Mottu were charged with embezzlement, while acting chief Bruce Miller -- Brian Miller's brother -- was charged with accepting a bribe. Brian Miller was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/25/justice/california-police-corruption-arrests/
Six officers, including the former police chief of King City and his acting replacement, were arrested Tuesday in the corruption scheme, as was the owner of a towing company.
Monterey County District Attorney Dean D. Flippo said the alleged scheme worked liked this: Sgt. Bobby Carrillo would impound a vehicle -- at least 200 of them -- and, though he was supposed to equally use one of four towing companies, he would call Miller's Towing 87% of the time. Carrillo targeted poor Latinos who couldn't pay the money required to retrieve their vehicles, prosecutors alleged.
Brian Miller, the tow company owner, would provide the unclaimed vehicles to Carrillo, Flippo said in a news release.
Many of the cars and trucks were sold by the officers, who kept other vehicles for personal use, prosecutors said. The FBI aided in the arrests.
Carrillo was charged with conspiracy, bribery and accepting a bribe.
Former chief Nick Baldiviez and Officer Mario Mottu were charged with embezzlement, while acting chief Bruce Miller -- Brian Miller's brother -- was charged with accepting a bribe. Brian Miller was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/25/justice/california-police-corruption-arrests/