Dirty Cop pleads guilty to accepting a $ 14,000 bribe to help sell illegal weed in California

Rudolph Petersen pleads guilty to all allegations of corruption by the US Department of Justice.

The events that have led up to this moment are connected with a thick web of lies and deception. It could even be said that the writers of the ‘Power’ series could learn a thing or two from the events surrounding this arrest.

The case

Defendant Rudolph Petersen, 34, was charged with taking bribes totaling around $ 14,000 in cash from a drug trafficker. The drug dealer received valuable information about suspected informers when Petersen routinely searched the police database to retrieve the large sums of money. Petersen also accompanied the heavy shipment of illegal substances like weed etc.

The federal attorney leading this case is Assistant Attorney Ian V. Yanniello of the International Narcotics Money Laundering and Racketeering Section while the case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

Backstory

Petersen served in the Montebello Police Department for over three years.

During this time he was the insider for drug traffickers, he used his position as a member of the police force to gain access to sensitive information that he sold for big bucks to gang members and drug traffickers. He informed the boys about plea deals and the people who were about to testify against the gangs. He gave the traffickers more or less information he learned from the police that could endanger their trafficking in human beings.

Prosecutors alleged that this corrupt act had been ongoing since 2018. Petersen made at least $ 14,000 by serving these traffickers. He was their contact when they had to transport U-Hauls fully loaded with a new supply of weed. Petersen also accompanied their products during delivery. He put the lives of police informants and their families at risk by giving their information to the drug traffickers.

According to the federal prosecutor’s office, a drug trafficker who was referred to in the reports as “Co-Intrigue 2” turned to official Petersen in 2018. At a fixed dinner he secured the services of Petersen. Petersen agreed to be put on Co-Planner 2’s payroll without being too flattering. A few days later he also received $ 500 through an intermediary.

The reports went on to describe Petersen’s first appearance. This happened three months after dinner. Petersen was seen armed and fully dressed in a security guard’s uniform. The uniform is very similar to the official Montebello police uniform. With this disguise, Petersen was able to successfully supervise a white U-Haul vehicle. The vehicle is believed to have contained marijuana grown illegally in Fontana and it was moved to a location near Rowland Heights on Route 60, California.

After the successful operation, Petersen went to the Co-Schemer 2 house and received a paper bag with about $ 10,000 in cash.

The plea deal

Petersen pleaded guilty to all of the federal prosecutor’s charges. He also confessed that the white U-Haul truck wasn’t the only cargo he was accompanying.

Petersen admitted that he used the law enforcement database to obtain data on an individual.

According to his testimony, Co-Schemer 2 hired him to collect information on a person he called a “treasure”. The “treasure” is believed to have previously worked with police to intercept and confiscate a truckload of cocaine. He says he received a bribe of around $ 500 to $ 1,000 for every database search. Petersen not only provided information about the “Schnitz”, but also disclosed information about other suspects working with the police.

The federal prosecutor’s office also alleged that yet another incident occurred in September 2020. Petersen received at least $ 1,000 from Co-Schemer 2 to find out if it was state or federal law enforcement that had successfully installed tracking devices on vehicles owned by the gang members.

The hearing

This is planned for January 11, 2022. US District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. will be responsible for the proposed conviction.

Despite all the charges he has pleaded guilty to, Petersen faces no less than 10 years in federal prison for all of his crimes.

Other allegations of bribery within the California cannabis industry

The cannabis industry in central California appears to be riddled with various alleged bribes. Petersen is just one of the few who got caught by the law.

There are other corrupt police officers, government employees and powerful officials who routinely use their access to government information to divulge information to gang members and actors in the legal and illegal cannabis market industry.

The FBI investigated officials in Sacramento, California in 2019. These individuals were suspected of bribing license applicants for preferential treatment in the selection process.

The case revolved around how a cannabis entrepreneur named Garib Karapetyan and his business associates could get about eight cannabis business licenses while others couldn’t get them. Mr Karapetyan already owned a third of the available retailer licenses running pharmacies in the city in 2019.

Further investigation revealed that Ukrainian businessman Andrew Kukushkin, who was also one of Karapetyan’s staff, was one of four people charged by federal prosecutors for their links to an illegal system.

Rudy Guiliani, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were charged during the investigation into this case.

Rudy Giuliani is the lawyer for former US President Donald Trump.

Bottom line

Corrupt people in government offices cannot be fished out immediately. However, with a good strategy, law enforcement agencies may be able to gradually fish these people out.

Stricter penalties should be added to deter others from replacing the corrupt police and government officials caught.

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