9 Bay Area cops have been arrested by FBI for cheating, racist abuse, drug dealing

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Grand Jury’s Indictments
Indictment 1: College Degree Benefits Fraud
Six officers “claimed they earned college credits toward degrees, when in fact, they hired people to take classes and exams for them,” U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey said. The officers conspired to defraud their own police departments, without putting in work attending classes, Ramsey said.

Officers charged in the first indictment were identified as: Patrick James Berhan, Morteza Amiri, Amanda Carmella Theodosy, Samantha Peterson, Ernesto Juan Mejia-Orozco, and Brauli Rodriguez Jalapa. They were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy for allegedly receiving pay raises through the college credits scheme.

Beginning in 2019, then-Pittsburg Police Officer Berhan utilized a person to complete multiple college courses for him, according to investigators. The courses helped Berhan complete a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice, and bump up his salary at the Pittsburg Police Department. Five more officers joined the scheme after Berhan touted the person’s college “services” for fraudulent coursework, investigators said.

Indictment 2: Steroid drug dealing
Two Antioch police officers charged in the second indictment were identified as: Daniel James Harris and Devon Christopher Wenger. The duo was charged with conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, possession with intent to distribute steroids, and destroying evidence.

Indictment 3: Obstruction of a Federal Investigation
One Antioch police officer, Timothy Allen Manly Williams, was charged with destruction of evidence, obstruction, falsification of records, and deprivation of rights under color of law.

On May 6, 2021, Williams was at a crime scene when another officer deployed a police dog to make a arrest. Williams spotted a witness who used a cellphone to record video of the K9 incident’s aftermath. The indictment alleges that Williams seized the witness’ phone and destroyed it. In a separate incident, Williams is accused of tipping off the target of a wiretap.

Indictment 4: Deprivation of Rights
Three Antioch police officers allegedly committed “a disturbing litany of civil rights violations. The defendants boasted about their illegal use of force in text messages,” Ramsey said.

The officers are accused of collecting trophies from shooting scenes, writing racist text messages, excessively deploying K9 units to attack suspects, using a 40mm launchers as “punishment,” and intentionally leaving their body-worn cameras off.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/9-bay-area-police-officers-arrested-by-fbi-in-alleged-cheating-scandal/ar-AA1fsPYi


California officer accused in probe of racist texts kept 'gory' police dog injury photos for himself, authorities say
Three officers "touted” their use of excessive force and collected “trophies,” according to an indictment unsealed Thursday.

In the excessive force case, the three officers were charged with conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights and destruction of federal records. Amiri — a former K-9 officer — deployed his dog Purcy to bite at least 28 people between 2019 and 2021, the indictment alleges.

Amiri captured photos and videos of dog bite injuries on his personal cellphone and shared them with officers and others, saying in one 2019 text that the “gory pics are for personal stuff,” according to the indictment.

In some cases, he texted Wenger and Rombough — who worked for the department’s SWAT and gang units — how many times Purcy had bit someone: “#4 on fire rn…lol,” the indictment alleges.

In another instance in 2019, Wenger texted the other two officers, asking them to find a suspect who “ran,” according to the indictment.

When Wenger asked them to do something vulgar to the suspect, Rombough responded: “Deal.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-officer-accused-probe-racist-texts-kept-gory-police-dog-inj-rcna100516

[JohnSJ]

1. I would not consider Antioch part of the "bay area", just as I wouldn't consider Stockton part of

the Bay Area.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

3. ok.

[Sympthsical]

8. If BART goes to it, it's the Bay Area

Antioch/Pittsburg/Bay Point are very much considered the Bay Area.

Just as Walnut Creek, Fairfield, Vallejo, and Concord are all considered Bay Area.

Alameda, Napa, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Solano, Marin, San Mateo, and Sonoma counties are generally grouped together as such.

[JohnSJ]

9. Ok.

[lambchopp59]

10. Both soon BART accessible though.

Bash BART all you like, my 20 dollar fast pass in those days helped get me through school and edged me those few minutes of study time as well. Concord BART'z center platform was often the only vitamin B conversion sun soak available then too. Those Rohr trains still rode smoothly enough to read in those days.
BTW, fuck that wet CalTrain walk at Millbrae.
Although there are times I regret my decision to leave the city when I graduated, the upward mobility I managed essily elsewhere was a locked down option in the city. I'd be far undermarketable professionally now. But there are times I'd give my left foot not it be a must to drive at most of my gigs, a pet peeve.
Funny aspect of this: I only rarely use BART now except flights in. I've uncanny happenstance yet to ride one of the new Bombardier cars, hilariously it's been one of the old legacy Rohr's come clacking along for me like a crippled poltergeist, LOL. Even a year ago I was all like... really? They're gone soon now, I've read.
I wax nostalgic for a bittersweet city long gone.

[Sympthsical]

12. Antioch's had a BART station for about five years now

It confused the hell out of me for the longest time, because I had grown so used to referring to the yellow line as Pittsburg/Bay Point.

And then they changed Fremont to Warm Springs then to Berryessa. The first time I saw Berryessa, I was like "Wait, where am I going?!"

Thought BART was about to give tours through wine country.

[lambchopp59]

13. I vaguely recall it's the Dublin line to be extended to Stockton?

I'll probably still stay in Dublin when I fly in anyway. I can't find the article projected 2026 but found the map:
https://azfreemk.live/product_details/27686798.html

[Sympthsical]

14. The only extension project I know of is Silicon Valley

Which, finally! That is going to be so useful.

https://www.vta.org/projects/bart-sv/phase-ii

Stockton's pretty far out there. There was a proposal to extend Dublin out to Livermore, but the board of directors shot it down.

Their project focus for the next twenty years is mainly to finally ring the Bay through South Bay. I would love to be able to take BART to places like San Mateo or Redwood City. Have a lot of friends down that way.

Edit: (I love the Doubletree in Pleasanton when my partner stays down there for work. It's attached to this giant gym/sports complex. So much fun on his employer's dime)

[lambchopp59]

15. May not have been approved.

It was a print newspaper article in Stockton a few years ago with this map:
https://azfreemk.live/product_details/27686798.html
Pandemic may have scrapped the plans I read about.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

2. If these charges hold up

These assholes should go away for a long time.

Especially that police-dog sadist.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

5. more on Morteza Amiri and his Belgian Malinois, named Purcy

Amiri was an Antioch K-9 unit officer who excessively deployed his Belgian Malinois, named Purcy, and took photographs of victims’ dog bites. Amiri stored the gory, bloody photographs on his personal cellphone as trophies, and sent the photos to fellow officers, the indictment shows. Amiri, a former Brentwood Police Department Officer, was a member of APD’s Gang Unit.

Even in cases when suspects immediately and peacefully surrendered for arrest, Rombough shot suspects with 44mm munitions and Amiri deployed his K-9, according to the indictment. In their police reports, the officers untruthfully wrote that the suspects had resisted arrest, investigators said.

The indictment includes an October 8, 2020 incident when Amiri sent a text message with a photograph of an unsheltered man, identified as “M.Z.” who stole his mail. Wenger responded with a text writing, “Let’s beat his fu**ing ass. I’m serious bro, let’s beat that dudes ass after work.”

Amiri texted officers in reference to M.Z., “I tracked him down and dragged him to the back of a car to ‘discuss’ the matter. Putting a pistol in someone’s mouth and telling them to stop stealing isn’t illegal. . . it’s an act of public service,” he allegedly wrote.

The three officers allegedly encouraged each other to escalate violence when making arrests.

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/california/antioch-police-officers-collected-trophies-from-crime-scenes-fbi/

[dalton99a]

4. Criminal trash with a badge

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

6. I wish we could see them looking sad in their booking photos

[MagickMuffin]

16. Looks as though several races are guilty of wrongdoing

I hope the Karma train comes barreling down justice on these enforcers.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

17. yep.. a diverse group of races and genders doing bad

[Sympthsical]

7. Angelo Quinto was Antioch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Angelo_Quinto

That police department has been a thing for quite a while now.

[mopinko]

11. cops need to start getting tested for roids.

esp after w use of force event, but randomly, too.
it’s my pet theory is that much of our cop problems go back to steroid use.
any buff cop that isnt spending hours in the gym is suspect.