One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Former Sheriff Lee Baca Now Faces Up To 20 Years In Prison
Lee Baca holds a press conference in 2007. (Photo by Chad Buchanan/Getty Images)
Days after withdrawing his guilty plea, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has been indicted on more charges and now faces up to 20 years in prison.The L.A. Times reports that Baca, who stepped down in 2014 amidst an investigation of abuse and corruption in the Men's Central Jail, has been indicted by a grand jury on one count of conspiracy to obstruct a federal grand jury investigation, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making false statements. If convicted of all charges, the former sheriff faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
On Monday, Baca withdrew his guilty plea to one charge of lying to investigators after a judge rejected the deal he struck with federal prosectors, saying the 6-month sentence he was set to receive was too lenient.
In June, former undersheriff Paul Tanaka was given a five-year sentence for his role in the coverup surrounding the abuse in the Men's Central Jail.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
