Santa Clara CA Sheriff CCW Permit Corruption Scandal

[HCM]

Carry guns for Zuck’s Bookface guards but not for you peasants.


https://youtu.be/BtEO8iR_dCU

Four indicted in Santa Clara County Sheriff concealed gun permit scandal
Captain, reelection committee officer, two others charged with conspiracy and bribery; Sheriff Laurie Smith and security firm that got permits were not indicted, but DA says ‘we’re not done’

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen announced felony charges including conspiracy and bribery against Capt. James Jensen; Christopher Schumb, an officer for a sheriff reelection committee and a prominent South Bay litigator; attorney Harpaul Nahal; and Milpitas gun-parts maker Michael Nichols. All four are accused of plotting to illegally secure concealed-gun permits for employees of Seattle-based executive security contractor AS Solution.

The indictment marks the first criminal case to come out of a decade’s worth of complaints regarding political favoritism in Smith’s issuing of the hard-to-get concealed-carry permits. Rosen said Friday that an 18-month investigation uncovered a two-tiered policy for the concealed gun permits: a process for regular citizens whose applications were destined for a filing cabinet, and another for VIPs whose applications were fast-tracked for approval.

According to the indictment, Nichols contacted Nahal in April 2018 to set up a meeting with Nielsen, who Nichols described as a “buddy,” to help Nielsen secure CCW permits for his company’s executive protection agents, who protected high-profile figures like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg.

That led to a meeting between Nielsen, West, Nichols, Nahal and Schumb in May 2018, and led to Nielsen attending a “Best of the West” police skills competition hosted by the sheriff’s office. At that event, prosecutors say Nichols introduced Nielsen to Jensen, and they “agreed in principle” to exchange political donations for concealed-carry permits.

Over the next month, a group of executive protection agents were directed by AS Solution manager Jack Stromgren to list false employers and addresses to fulfill legal requirements that county concealed-gun permits can only be issue to county residents. Nielsen gave Jensen a pile of applications at a Starbucks not far from the sheriff’s office headquarters, according to the indictment.

[Mark D]

I live in another county that has a more balanced approach to CCW, but I'm close enough to Santa Clara County that this makes me feel nauseous.

It's a two-tier system that coddles the social and economic elite, while pissing on everyday folk. Unfortunately, this kind of hypocrisy is not limited to CCW permits.

I hope the investigation is thorough and digs deep. I also hope the guilty are punished appropriately for their betrayal of their office.

[blues]

NYPD received some notoriety for similar transgressions...

[RJ]

What a bunch of scumbags. I hope they get a fair trial and jail/fines as per the full extent of the law if convicted.

[HCM]

I live in another county that has a more balanced approach to CCW, but I'm close enough to Santa Clara County that this makes me feel nauseous.

It's a two-tier system that coddles the social and economic elite, while pissing on everyday folk. Unfortunately, this kind of hypocrisy is not limited to CCW permits.

I hope the investigation is thorough and digs deep. I also hope the guilty are punished appropriately for their betrayal of their office.

Only one of the indicted (the Captain) is an LEO. The others are with the Sheiff’s re-election campaign or are political “fixers.”

[HCM]

NYPD received some notoriety for similar transgressions...

San Diego County has had similar issues.

My understanding was the NYPD thing was mostly corruption for personal profit. This one is straight up political / campaign finance corruption.

[JodyH]

Discretionary issue of permits leads to corruption?
Who would of thought that?

[OlongJohnson]

Don't forget the "slap on the wrist" section to allow the right people to be let go if they happen to get tangled up in the assault weapon web.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/f...ctionNum=30800.

PENAL CODE - PEN
PART 6. CONTROL OF DEADLY WEAPONS [16000 - 34370] ( Part 6 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )
TITLE 4. FIREARMS [23500 - 34370] ( Title 4 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )
DIVISION 10. SPECIAL RULES RELATING TO PARTICULAR TYPES OF FIREARMS OR FIREARM EQUIPMENT [30210 - 33690] ( Division 10 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )
CHAPTER 2. Assault Weapons and .50 BMG Rifles [30500 - 31115] ( Chapter 2 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )

ARTICLE 4. Assault Weapon or .50 BMG Rifle Constituting Nuisance [30800- 30800.] ( Article 4 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )

30800.
(a) (1) Except as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 30600), possession of any assault weapon or of any .50 BMG rifle in violation of this chapter is a public nuisance, solely for purposes of this section and subdivision (c) of Section 18005.

(2) The Attorney General, any district attorney, or any city attorney, may, in lieu of criminal prosecution, bring a civil action or reach a civil compromise in any superior court to enjoin the manufacture of, importation of, keeping for sale of, offering or exposing for sale, giving, lending, or possession of an assault weapon or .50 BMG rifle that is a public nuisance.

(b) (1) Upon motion of the Attorney General, district attorney, or city attorney, a superior court may impose a civil fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for the manufacture of, importation of, keeping for sale of, offering or exposing for sale, giving, or lending of an assault weapon or .50 BMG rifle that is a public nuisance pursuant to subdivision (a) and up to two hundred dollars ($200) for each additional assault weapon or .50 BMG that is a public nuisance pursuant to subdivision (a).

(2) Upon motion of the Attorney General, district attorney, or city attorney, a superior court may impose a civil fine not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300) for the possession of an assault weapon or .50 BMG rifle that is a public nuisance pursuant to subdivision (a) and up to one hundred dollars ($100) for each additional assault weapon or .50 BMG rifle possessed, that is a public nuisance pursuant to subdivision (a).

(c) Any assault weapon or .50 BMG rifle deemed a public nuisance under subdivision (a) shall be destroyed in a manner so that it may no longer be used, except upon a finding by a court, or a declaration from the Department of Justice, district attorney, or city attorney stating that the preservation of the assault weapon or .50 BMG rifle is in the interest of justice.

(d) Upon conviction of any misdemeanor or felony involving the illegal possession or use of an assault weapon, the assault weapon shall be deemed a public nuisance and disposed of pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 18005.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 730, Sec. 7. (AB 879) Effective January 1, 2020.)

[KellyinAvon]

Discretionary issue of permits leads to corruption?
Who would of thought that?

Me

[UNK]

Discretionary issue of permits leads to corruption?
Who would of thought that?

45 or so years ago here a political donation would get you a badge, deputy status and you could run lights in your personal vehicle.