THE STENCH EMITTING FROM LEE ‘PEPE LE PEW’ BACA, FORMER SHERIFF TO THE STARS

Ex-Sheriff’s deputy recalls culture of abuse in the Los Angeles County jails under Lee Baca

By Susan Abram

Los Angeles Daily News
December 14, 2016

A convicted Los Angeles County deputy whose actions within the Men’s Central Jail triggered criminal charges against former Sheriff Lee Baca and many others down the chain of command, recounted for a jury Tuesday how the culture of abuse against inmates was commonplace, and how he got caught.

Shackled at his ankles and wrists and dressed in a white, federal prison jumpsuit, a heavily bearded Gilbert Michel explained at the federal courthouse in downtown L.A. how he beat inmates when he worked at Men’s Central Jail between 2008 and 2011. He also took a $1,500 bribe to smuggle a cell phone to a state prisoner being held there named Anthony Brown. Brown had become an FBI informant, and Michel unknowingly accepted a bribe from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for smuggling the cell phone to Brown.

Federal prosecutors used Michel’s testimony to show the link between him, Brown, the FBI and eventually Baca. Prosecutors have said when the phone was discovered and Sheriff’s Department officials learned the FBI was involved, the plan to thwart the investigation was set into motion. Top brass at the sheriff’s department gave Brown different names, and transferred him to other jails, so FBI officials could no longer find him.

Meanwhile, Michel also testified that he saw a deputy named Justin Bravo, Baca’s nephew, punch and kick another inmate. Michel’s testimony came on the fourth day of Baca’s jail abuse and corruption trial in downtown L.A.’s federal courthouse. Baca is charged with allegedly obstructing justice for trying to keep FBI agents away from Brown and also conspiring to obstruct justice in August and September of 2011.

Baca’s defense attorney, Nathan Hochman, worked to distance Michel’s actions from the former sheriff. Hochman asked Michel if he told other deputies, and those up the chain of command about how he accepted the bribe from the FBI, that he beat inmates, or lied on a report until he was caught.

Michel said no.

Hochman also pointed out that Michel made an agreement with the federal government to accept one charge of bribery in exchange for his testimony against several other Sheriff’s Department personnel.

Michel is currently serving a six month sentence for that one count, even though he accepted two bribes. He was never arrested or charged for beating inmates.

Last week, an imprisoned former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy told the jury that his illegal hiding of a jail informant from FBI agents was based on orders passed down from the former sheriff and other “big bosses” of the department.

James Sexton testified that he believed directives came through his immediate superiors including Baca to “remove a particular inmate” from the jail system – at least on paper – so federal authorities could not track him down.

In testimony Tuesday, former deputy Tara Adams said she was asked by a Sheriff’s lieutenant to remove Brown’s name from the Men’s Central Jail computer system. But without a court order, she said she couldn’t do it. She said the lieutenant and those with him were upset and told her the orders came from Paul Tanaka, Baca’s undersheriff at the time.

“They said they had their orders from Tanaka,” Adams said. “They said ‘are you going to tell Tanaka no?’ I said ‘Yes, I’ll tell him no. He needs to put it in writing’.”

But before that happened, Adams said her superior changed the name on the file.

Adams was asked by Hochman if she had any communication from Baca. Adams said no.

Tanaka is serving five years in federal prison on corruption charges. Many of the same witnesses who appeared at Tanaka’s trial also are testifying in Baca’s case.

Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday when FBI agent Leah Tanner, known during the investigation as Leah Marx, who is at the center of the investigation, will take the stand. The jury also may hear from a former Los Angeles Times reporter who interviewed Baca about the investigation.

A federal grand jury indicted Baca in August on charges alleging that he conspired to obstruct a grand jury investigation, obstructed justice, and lied to the government in connection with the FBI probe into jail-abuse allegations.

Baca retired from the Sheriff’s Department in 2014.