No jail time for two Richmond cops

[strongpoint]

straw purchases, conspiring to skirt the age limit, obstructing an investigation ... i wonder what kind of sentence a civilian would have received. full story here.

OAKLAND -- Two former Richmond police officers who admitted they illegally bought guns for underage employees at an off-duty security company they operated -- and then tried to obstruct a federal investigation to cover their tracks -- won't have to serve time in prison, a federal judge decided Tuesday.

"It could have been worse," U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken said before announcing what she described as lenient sentences.

i'd hate to see what "worse" would entail.

Starting in June 2009, prosecutors said, [Danny] Harris purchased four firearms from a San Jose gun dealer, then sold the guns for cash to his underage employees. Under federal law, people under 21 cannot buy handguns, and purchasing a gun for another person is considered an illegal "straw purchase."

Prosecutors said after the two officers learned of an internal investigation into their activities, [Raymond] Thomas plotted to obstruct the query by retrieving one of the guns from a former employee, Sergio Rios, then age 20. In Sept. 2010, Thomas wrote letters to Rios threatening retaliation if the gun was not returned, then filed a bogus lawsuit against him in small claims court.

Harris and Thomas ultimately hired [former private investigator Christopher] Butler to frame Rios for a drunken driving arrest known as a "dirty DUI." The plot failed after an anonymous tipster contacted Rios through Facebook and warned him about the scheme.

ETA (for those to lazy to click through): six months in a halfway house for one guy, six months of house arrest for the other.

[safewaysecurity]

Ridiculous how cops are let off. If anything they should be held to a higher standard and punished even more for violations of law. I do think however what they did should be legal. I just don't like the double standard and hypocrisy.

[G-forceJunkie]

Don't worry, its just a few bad apples. Or so I am told over and over.

[jshoebot]

We don't know the whole situation. Unless you've ever purchased a gun in order to sell it to your underage employees, and then do so without a PPT, and then you try to cover it up when you hear you're being investigated, and you have a badge, your opinion isn't valid. I'll withhold my opinions until we hear all sides of the story, as we can't comment since we don't know the whole situation.

[jshoebot]

Ridiculous how cops are let off. If anything they should be held to a higher standard and punished even more for violations of law. I do think however what they did should be legal. I just don't like the double standard and hypocrisy.

Agree 100%

[jdberger]

We don't know the whole situation. Unless you've ever purchased a gun in order to sell it to your underage employees, and then do so without a PPT, and then you try to cover it up when you hear you're being investigated, and you have a badge, your opinion isn't valid. I'll withhold my opinions until we hear all sides of the story, as we can't comment since we don't know the whole situation.

Priceless

[paul0660]

We don't know the whole situation. Unless you've ever purchased a gun in order to sell it to your underage employees, and then do so without a PPT, and then you try to cover it up when you hear you're being investigated, and you have a badge, your opinion isn't valid. I'll withhold my opinions until we hear all sides of the story, as we can't comment since we don't know the whole situation.

Well done. My sarcasmeter has new batteries so I am ok.

I wonder how the whole illegal transfer thing, disregarding the underage or straw purchase angle, is not mentioned.

i'd hate to see what "worse" would entail.

I think you mean "less worse".

The sentences set off a celebration from the officer's supporters in the courtroom hallway.

At least the are ex officers, for a while.

[5thgen4runner]

Ridiculous how cops are let off. If anything they should be held to a higher standard and punished even more for violations of law. I do think however what they did should be legal. I just don't like the double standard and hypocrisy.

They should be held to the same standard not more not less. I would be happy with that.

[Ron-Solo]

Many first offenders avoid jail time thru plea bargains such as this, not just LE.

I saw one first offender get 6 months county time for actually shooting at four people. Use a gun, go to prison.

Personally, these guys dishonored the badge and deserved jail time in my opinion. They just worked the system like many other work it.

[IrishJoe3]

Personally, these guys dishonored the badge and deserved jail time in my opinion. They just worked the system like many other work it.

Totally agree. f'em.

[CK_32]

Wtf I thought I saw all this talk on the boards you can have a handgun at 18 just can't buy ammo till your 21..? Can someone please give me another head ache with these laws I can never seem to fully understand correctly.

[frisco415]

.. This must be a early April fools joke..

[Untamed1972]

Many first offenders avoid jail time thru plea bargains such as this, not just LE.

I saw one first offender get 6 months county time for actually shooting at four people. Use a gun, go to prison.

Personally, these guys dishonored the badge and deserved jail time in my opinion. They just worked the system like many other work it.

Hiring someone to setup another person for a bogus DUI arrest as retaliation is just "working the system"?

That's just full blown criminal conspiracy in my book.

[stormvet]

Go to prison hell, they should not even of been convicted. That's the kind of BS they are wasting my tax dollars on, please. Don't let your hate over load your commen since.

[paul0660]

That's just full blown criminal conspiracy in my book.

Yes. Ron is a cop or ex cop who is usually fair minded, but this case (which we know a lot about but not everything) seems extraordinary to me.