A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was arrested this week after prosecutors said she stole money during a traffic stop and then filed a false report to cover up the affair.
Jessica Lynn, 39, was charged with two misdemeanor counts — concealing evidence and filing a false report — as well as a misdemeanor count of petit theft not exceeding $950, the district attorney’s office said in a news release Wednesday. press. His arraignment is scheduled for July.
If convicted on all counts, prosecutors said, she faces more than six years in prison.
“Law enforcement officers are responsible for upholding the law and protecting our communities,” Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement Wednesday. “When someone in such a situation violates this trust, it not only undermines the integrity of the entire justice system, but also jeopardizes the safety and well-being of those they are sworn to protect. protect. »
In an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon, the sheriff’s department said Lynn has been relieved of duty pending resolution of the case.
“Our personnel are not above the law and must be held accountable when their actions violate the moral and ethical standards of the ministry,” the statement said, noting that the ministry conducted an initial investigation into the matter before releasing it. entrust to prosecutors. “We value the public’s trust and expect our staff to protect our communities with integrity and professionalism.
Lynn did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It is not known if she has a lawyer.
The case that led to his arrest stems from an incident on April 15, 2023 in which prosecutors say Lynn stopped a driver at a Whittier shopping center around 2:45 a.m. after noticing the vehicle had heavily tinted windows. The driver did not have a valid license and after searching the vehicle, Lynn found a purse containing cash.
She is accused of stealing the money and throwing the purse in a trash can, according to the prosecutor’s press release.
The case against Lynn – who was based at the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station at the time – is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Department’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and Integrity Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office court system.
News of his arrest comes months after the DA’s office decided not to prosecute another deputy also accused of robbing a driver during a traffic stop. In this case, records show Deputy Braulio Robledo stopped a professional gambler leaving Commerce Casino in January 2020. Robledo searched the man for weapons, placed him in the back of his car patrol and searched his vehicle before letting him go with a warning. .
Afterward, the man said, he realized that $500 in white poker chips from Commerce Casino were missing from his backpack, so he called the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station to report the incident. Initially, Robledo denied arresting him. But a later review of surveillance footage showed it was his patrol SUV that stopped, according to what prosecutors wrote in a memo describing the case.
But ultimately, the memo says the poker player stopped cooperating with investigators, telling them he didn’t want to pursue the case because he was afraid of retaliation from a gang of deputies who he called “Los Banditos”. Without a cooperating witness, prosecutors said it was impossible to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Robledo robbed anyone that night.
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