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FBI arrest Los Angeles sheriff's deputies in misconduct probe | FBI arrest Los Angeles sheriff's deputies in misconduct probe |
(35 minutes later) | |
Sixteen Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have been arrested by the FBI in an investigation into misconduct in local jails, officials have said. | |
The deputies have been charged with conspiracy, obstruction and giving false statements, officials said. | The deputies have been charged with conspiracy, obstruction and giving false statements, officials said. |
The FBI had been investigating allegations of excessive force and misconduct at county jails since 2011. | The FBI had been investigating allegations of excessive force and misconduct at county jails since 2011. |
The inquiry uncovered a "wide scope of criminal conduct", the federal official in charge of the case said. | |
'Institutionalised misconduct' | |
Andre Birotte, US Attorney for the Central District of California, told reporters on Monday the arrests were made in connection with corruption at the multiple downtown jail complexes. | |
The FBI investigation found evidence of civil rights violations of inmates and well as visitors to the jails, according Mr Birotte. | |
"Serious misconduct", including instances of excessive force and filing false reports, became "institutionalised", he added. | |
Sheriff's officials also reportedly moved an FBI informant in an effort to thwart the internal probe. | |
The sheriff's officials allegedly moved the inmate and changed his name in the department's internal inmate database to show falsely that he had been released, the Los Angeles Times reports. | The sheriff's officials allegedly moved the inmate and changed his name in the department's internal inmate database to show falsely that he had been released, the Los Angeles Times reports. |
The American Civil Liberties Union had previously accused the sheriff's department of more than 70 cases of misconduct by deputies and sued in 2012. | The American Civil Liberties Union had previously accused the sheriff's department of more than 70 cases of misconduct by deputies and sued in 2012. |
Following the allegations, the county appointed a former county prosecutor in November to oversee the sheriff's department, the Associated Press news agency reported. | Following the allegations, the county appointed a former county prosecutor in November to oversee the sheriff's department, the Associated Press news agency reported. |