Latest news with #BradyList
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Former L.A. Times reporter sues county, alleges retaliation by LASD
A former Los Angeles Times reporter is suing Los Angeles County, former Sheriff Alex Villanueva and others for allegedly violating her First Amendment rights as a journalist by subjecting her to retaliatory investigations. In 2017, Maya Lau and two of her colleagues published a story about the Brady List, a secret list of approximately 300 deputies accused of misconduct. 'At a time of widespread debate around police misconduct, Ms. Lau's coverage of the Brady List provided evidence that LASD continued to employ and even reward officers with histories of misconduct, and demonstrated that crucial details about deputies were withheld from counsel in cases in which the deputies testified, in apparent violation of defendants' constitutional rights,' said a release from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which is helping provide Lau legal representation. 'The series prompted new oversight of LASD's role in past prosecutions, and helped inspire California legislation that brought greater transparency to police disciplinary records statewide.' The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, however, may not have viewed that report as positively, as Lau was then subjected to 'a campaign of retaliation and intimidation by the LASD' that lasted at least three years, her attorneys allege. 'None of these investigations revealed that Ms. Lau had committed any crime,' the release said. 'But the LASD—under then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva—nonetheless recommended to the California Attorney General's office that Ms. Lau be prosecuted for conspiracy, theft of government property, unlawful access of a computer, burglary, and receiving stolen property.' The Attorney General's Office declined to prosecute Lau, but as the LASD Civilian Oversight Commission noted in 2021, a conviction was not the point. Instead, 'these baseless investigations were intended 'to chill oversight of the Department, not to pursue a prosecution.'' 'It is an absolute outrage that the Sheriff's Department would criminally investigate a journalist for doing her job,' Lau said in the release. 'I am bringing this lawsuit not just for my own sake, but to send a clear signal in the name of reporters everywhere: we will not be intimidated. The Sheriff's Department needs to know that these kinds of tactics against journalists are illegal.' In addition to Villanueva and the county, former Undersheriff Tim Murakami and former Detective Mark Lillienfeld are named in the suit, which alleges five counts of rights violations. When the Los Angeles Times reached out to the defendants for comment, Murakami and Lillienfeld didn't respond, while the county counsel's office declined to comment. The LASD said in a statement that it hadn't been served in the suit as of Tuesday afternoon. 'While these allegations stem from a prior administration, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department under Sheriff Robert G. Luna is firmly committed to upholding the Constitution, including the First Amendment,' the statement said. 'We respect the vital role journalists play in holding agencies accountable and believe in the public's right to a free and independent press.' Villanueva told the Times that 'under the advice of counsel, I do not comment on pending litigation,' though he did accuse the Times, not his department, of trying to chill investigations. 'What I can say is the investigation in question, like all investigations conducted by the Public Corruption Unit during my tenure as Sheriff of Los Angeles County, were based on facts that were presented to the Office of the Attorney General,' he said. 'It is the political establishment, of which the LA Times is a part, that wishes to chill lawful investigations and criminal accountability with frivolous lawsuits such as this one.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
10-04-2025
- USA Today
Gay Venezuelan stylist sent to Salvadoran prison after a disgraced cop's report
Gay Venezuelan stylist sent to Salvadoran prison after a disgraced cop's report The imprisoned man sought shelter in the U.S. after he told authorities he was persecuted as a gay man, one of the "particular social groups" allowed to claim asylum. Show Caption Hide Caption Tattoos used by officials to identify and deport Venezuelan migrants Advocates for Venezuelan migrants say immigration authorities are using tattoos to wrongfully tie them to the Tren de Aragua prison gang. A former Milwaukee police officer with credibility issues played a key role in the deportation of a Venezuelan migrant to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center. Charles Cross, Jr., a CoreCivic employee, signed a report alleging the migrant's affiliation with the Tren de Aragua gang based on his tattoos. Cross has a history of misconduct, including a drunk driving incident and being listed on a Brady List for credibility concerns. A disgraced former Milwaukee cop with credibility issues helped seal the fate of a gay Venezuelan makeup artist sent to El Salvador's notorious prison, according to documents reviewed by USA TODAY. A report approved by the police-officer-turned-prison-contractor claimed the Venezuelan man was a member of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang. But the credibility of Charles Cross, Jr., who signed the report, was so bad, prosecutors flagged him on a list of police who had been accused of lying, breaking the law or acting in a way that erodes their credibility to testify in Milwaukee County. Cross was fired from his position as a Milwaukee Police Sergeant in 2012 after driving his car into a family's home while intoxicated. He appealed the decision and resigned in the process, according to the department. At the time, Cross was also being investigated for claiming overtime he allegedly hadn't earned. USA TODAY has requested his disciplinary and employment records. Earlier misdeeds had already landed him on the Milwaukee County Brady List, a compilation of law enforcement officers deemed by county prosecutors to have credibility issues. But they weren't enough to keep him from making life-altering decisions about gang affiliations and migrants at an immigration detention center in California. Cross, an employee of CoreCivic, which runs many of the immigration detention centers for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, typed his name over the title 'INVESTIGATOR' on the form that implicated Andry José Hernandez, a gay makeup artist from Venezuela who has denied any connection to Tren de Aragua, according to a court filing. Today, Cross, 62, is one of the private prison contractors helping to identify Venezuelan migrants as members of the criminal outfit Tren de Aragua – a designation that's landing them in a Salvadoran prison without due process. Entrusting private contractors – and not federal agents – to determine whether migrants are members of a criminal gang adds a new level of apprehension, migrant advocates and a former ICE official said. Putting that responsibility in the hands of government contractors raises 'serious concerns,' John Sandweg, former ICE acting director under the Obama administration said, given that the government is using the alleged gang link as the sole reason for deportation. It's unclear whether Hernandez was also evaluated by federal agents, if Cross and another CoreCivic employee, Arturo Torres, were Hernandez's sole screeners, or if other corroborating evidence was used to allege his ties to the criminal group. Asked about the Hernandez case, the Department of Homeland Security wouldn't offer further details on the case or the process in general but reiterated that the department uses more than just tattoos to determine gang allegiance. They also wouldn't comment on the role private contractors play in the process. 'DHS intelligence assessments go well beyond just gang affiliate tattoos and social media. We are confident in our intelligence," the department said in a statement attributed to a "Senior DHS Official," without naming the official. 'We aren't going to share intelligence reports and undermine national security every time a gang member denies he is one. That would be insane.' CoreCivic said in a statement that the decision to deport or release any person rests with ICE. More: Supreme Court puts hold on order that deported Maryland man must be returned to US Persecuted as a gay man Hernandez was one of more than 200 mostly-Venezuelan migrants sent to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT, last month. The Justice Department contends President Donald Trump has the authority to wield the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law which was previously only invoked in times of declared war against other countries, to hasten the deportation of alleged gang members he said invaded the U.S. More: Trump banished her husband to El Salvador. Work and worry are all she has left. Hernandez, 30, fled Venezuela last year because he claimed he was persecuted as a gay man – one of the protected groups allowed to claim asylum under U.S. law. Photos posted to his Instagram site show him applying makeup and wearing bejeweled crowns. Hernandez initially tried crossing into the U.S. illegally and was intercepted by U.S. Border Patrol agents, who returned him to Mexico, according to court filings. He then presented himself at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego in August after making an appointment through a government app called CBP One. Hernandez passed an initial 'credible fear' interview with a federal agent but, after Border Patrol officials questioned him about his tattoos, he was transferred to ICE custody and sent to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego. There, Torres questioned Hernandez and filled out questionnaires suggesting the asylum-seeker's tattoos, including a crown on either wrist, next to the words 'Dad' and 'Mom,' linked him to Tren de Aragua. Hernandez repeatedly denied being part of the group. On one form, dated Dec. 10, 2024, a points-based rubric sheet titled 'STG MEMBER VALIDATION / CONFIRMATION,' Hernandez was given a '5' for his tattoos. None of the other categories, including 'intelligence information received from other agencies' or 'group photos' with other gang members, were checked. Still, he was named a 'SUSPECT.' 'Upon conducting a review of detainee Hernandez's tattoos it was found that detainee Hernandez has a crown on each one of his wrist,' the form states. 'The crown has been found to be an identifier for a Tren de Aragua gang member.' The document is signed 'Completed by' Torres and 'Confirmed by' Cross. Internal DHS and FBI documents previously obtained by USA TODAY revealed that federal authorities for years have questioned the effectiveness of using tattoos to identify members of Tren de Aragua, also known as TdA. 'Gang Unit collections determined that the Chicago Bulls attire, clocks, and rose tattoos are typically related to the Venezuelan culture and not a definite (indicator) of being a member or associate of the (TdA),' reads a 2023 "Situational Awareness" bulletin on the criminal gang written by the U.S. Custom and Border Protection's El Paso Sector Intelligence Unit. Crown tattoos lead to gang allegation A few weeks after being reviewed by Torres and Cross, around March 6, Hernandez was transferred to a federal detention center in Texas, his attorney wrote in a court filing. Last month, he was flown to the Salvadoran prison. His lawyers haven't heard from him since. Sandweg, the former ICE acting director, said ICE agents routinely investigated whether detained migrants had gang affiliations or criminal histories. Historically, the gang designation was something made by a federal official and reviewed by supervisors before the allegation went in front of an immigration judge, he said. Even then, suspicion of gang alliance was something used to target or fast-track a migrant's deportation – not the sole reason for their removal, Sandweg said. Exclusive: FBI and DHS question using tattoos to accurately ID Venezuelan criminal gangs 'The idea that government contractors might be making that decision would be very alarming,' Sandweg said. 'People are being rendered to a torture prison on the basis of these flimsy and inaccurate determinations,' said Heidi Altman, vice president of policy at the National Immigration Law Center, an advocacy group. 'Using private prison contractors to make those determinations is just another level of recklessness.' Reached by phone, Cross deferred all questions to CoreCivic headquarters. Ryan Gustin, a CoreCivic spokesman, wouldn't comment specifically on Cross's case but said in a statement that all employees 'clear a rigorous, federal background clearance process' and must be approved by ICE before being employed at an ICE-contracted facility. CoreCivic staffers conduct a 'thorough assessment' on all people entering its detention centers, but the decision to deport rests solely with ICE, the statement said. 'CoreCivic does not enforce immigration laws, arrest anyone who may be in violation of immigration laws, or have any say whatsoever in an individual's deportation or release,' it read. 'CoreCivic also does not know the circumstances of individuals when they are placed in our facilities.' It's unknown what, if any, training Cross has had in identifying gang members. In Milwaukee, he rose to the rank of sergeant at the police department and, according to his LinkedIn page, had '19+ years of service' and gained 'extensive experience in security, investigations, department management and overall operations.' Police sergeant shrouded by misdeeds But his tenure was cratered with controversy. In 2007, he received a misdemeanor conviction after kicking in the door of the apartment he shared with his girlfriend and threatening to kill himself with his service revolver, according to court records. He lost his job but later was reinstated after appealing to the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. That incident landed him on the Brady List, which gives defense attorneys a chance to contest an officer's credibility if they're called to testify. In 2012, Cross was arrested again after driving his car into the side of a house, court records show. His blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit for driving. He was ticketed for first-offense drunken driving after the crash, court records show. 'He couldn't walk straight. He was talking nonsense like, 'Highway's here,'' Nina Krasic, who was in the home with her three children, told Fox 6 TV at the time. 'I'm like, 'No.'" After an internal investigation, Cross was fired from the force in October 2012. He appealed and later resigned. Four months later, he was hired at CoreCivic. Greg Chen, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, questioned the legality of having contract workers make such consequential decisions. A key issue is whether, in cases such as Hernandez's, there was other corroborating evidence – and whether a government official made the final call to send him to El Salvador, he said. 'That determination that somebody would be removable from the country needs to be made by a law enforcement official under the Department of Homeland Security,' he said. 'It would be highly problematic if that determination was being made, in fact, by a private prison employee.' In court filings, Paulina Reyes, an attorney for Hernandez, described the crown tattoos on her client as representing his affinity for the annual 'Three Kings' festival in his hometown of Capacho, Venezuela. He worked as a makeup artist at a state-run television station but was constantly discriminated against and threatened for his sexual orientation and political views, according to the affidavit. Hernandez quit the TV job and fled to the United States, where he told relatives he'd be safer. By mid-March, he had vanished. Follow Jervis on X: @MrRJervis. USA TODAY reporter Gina Barton contributed to this report.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Former police officer, Cristo Rey security coordinator faces 8 more counts of invasion of privacy
Fernando Bustos, 42, a former Greenfield police officer and security coordinator at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, has been charged with eight additional counts of invasion of privacy involving victims under 18, according to an amended criminal complaint. The amended criminal complaint, signed Thursday by Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Hasle, shows that Bustos now has a total of nine charges. Bustos, of Greendale, was initially charged on March 3 after being accused of placing a camera in a locker in the girls locker room at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. The investigation uncovered hundreds of videos recorded between May 2024 and February 2025. Following his initial appearance on March 5, Bustos was released on a $750 cash bail with conditions prohibiting contact with high schools in Milwaukee County and the use of video surveillance to inappropriately record individuals under 18. He pleaded not guilty on March 13 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 16. Records show Bustos was also a former Greenfield police officer who resigned in 2020 following an investigation for mishandling evidence, which led to his inclusion on the Milwaukee County "Brady List." The Brady List ― which is kept by the District Attorney's Office ― tracks officers who have had a history of dishonestly, bias or past crimes, and is used my prosecutors to fulfill their legal obligations to disclose potentially favorable evidence to people accused of crimes. A recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, TMJ4 News and Wisconsin Watch investigation found the Brady List is inconsistent and incomplete, raising questions about how useful it is in practice. Parents and students have expressed concerns regarding the school's response to the incident, with many noting the school's lack of communication and empathy regarding the situation, most notably following a tense school board meeting on March 5. Videos from that school board meeting have since gone viral on social media. Cristo Rey said the meeting had to be cut short after the school determined that the meeting was no longer constructive. Cristo Rey Jesuit sent emails to the community and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel addressing the situation and ensuring the safety of students was the school's number one priority. 'Cristo Rey Jesuit High School stands in solidarity with our students and families to see that Fernando Bustos is brought to justice," said the school in a Friday email to the Journal Sentinel. "We are committed to making sure that our school and campus are safe and that our community receives the necessary support and resources as we all navigate this difficult time." Cristo Rey Jesuit attorneys are working closely with law enforcement officials so the school staff can focus their energy and efforts on the education and well-being of the students, according to the letter. The school also said it would ensure that communication with these incidents will be handled better in the future. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities urge anyone with additional information to come forward. Contact Adrienne Davis at amdavis@ Follow her on X at @AdriReportss. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former police officer facing 8 more charges for behavior at Cristo Rey
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arrest of Milwaukee officer shows need for community oversight, activists say
A Milwaukee police squad in front of the Municipal Court downtown. (Photo | Isiah Holmes) Activists in Milwaukee are calling for more community control of police as the public learns about a Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) officer arrested by federal authorities last week. Juwon Madlock, who had 10 years of service at MPD, is accused of a variety of crimes stemming from his alleged relationship with a local gang. A federal complaint accuses Madlock — among other things — of possessing a machine gun, selling guns and ammunition to local gang members and using police databases to furnish intelligence to those gangs about rivals and informants. The complaint alleges that Madlock worked with 'a violent street gang in Milwaukee' identified by federal authorities as the 'Burleigh Zoo Family.' It's unclear whether the gang chose the name or whether it was bestowed on the group by law enforcement investigators. The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, a local group which has called for accountability and community oversight of law enforcement, released a statement noting that Madlock appears on Milwaukee County's Brady List of officers with problematic histories. A searchable database compiled by TMJ4 states that at the time Madlock was placed on the Brady List, he was still employed at MPD. Records related to Madlock's disciplinary history maintained by the Fire and Police Commission (FPC) mention that Madlock and another officer, Benjamin Bender, violated integrity standards for failing to investigate a reported shooting from a victim who came into MPD's District 7 in 2021. Representatives from the FPC didn't respond to a request for comment. The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression questions why an officer with Madlock's history was allowed to remain on MPD, and whether other officers who have violated police standards continue to serve on MPD. 'We need these questions answered now, and we need concrete steps from Chief Jeffrey Norman to rectify this situation,' the group said in a statement. A press release from MPD states that Chief Norman 'expects all members, sworn and civilian, to demonstrate the highest ethical standards in the performance of their duties and was extremely disappointed to learn about the misconduct in this case. Chief Norman wants to remind the public that everyone is afforded the right of due process under the law, and as such, are innocent until proven guilty.' Madlock was arrested on March 12, after agents from the FBI office of Milwaukee and MPD's Internal Affairs division 'made contact' with him, according to the department's press release. The trail to Madlock's door began on Feb 13, when MPD's Special Investigations Division, tactical units, and federal task force officers of the FBI's 'Milwaukee Area Safe Streets Task Force' executed a search warrant of a home in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield. Their target, 29-year-old Cobie Hannah Jr., was wanted by the Milwaukee County sheriff according to the federal complaint. Although Hannah was ordered not to have weapons, when officers searched his home, they allegedly found firearms, stolen license plates and false vehicle registrations. After seizing and searching an iPhone and laptops, investigators found a text message chain from a number they later linked to Madlock using 'law enforcement and open-source databases,' the complaint states. The text messages reveal conversations in which Madlock discusses selling guns and ammunition to members of the 'Burleigh Zoo Family' according to the complaint. The messages also discuss what investigators believe are plans to steal cars. In separate instances, Madlock appeared to be providing gang members with information about police movements and patrols, so that alleged gang members who were wanted could avoid law enforcement. Some of the messages suggested Madlock used law enforcement databases to renew plates which were also used by gang members to avoid law enforcement. One of the more damning messages suggests that Madlock used law enforcement information databases to identify informants and find addresses to arrange shootings among rival gangs. The unchecked use of such databases by law enforcement, particularly when it comes to surveillance of citizens without a clear public safety reason, is a growing concern among privacy and civil liberties groups. After Madlock was brought into custody, he allegedly spoke with investigators about the text messages and what they meant. A federal search warrant was served on Madlock's North Side Milwaukee home. A handgun 'affixed with a machinegun conversion device' was found in the basement. When asked about the various guns he allegedly offered for sale, the complaint states, Madlock claimed the weapons were owned by his parents and brother. Madlock's father allegedly told law enforcement later that the guns were indeed his, but that his son did not have permission to sell them, and that he didn't know about the machine pistol. The complaint also mentions that Madlock claimed that Hannah was 'a source of information for him, in his capacity as a police officer.' Madlock did not sign Hannah up as an official confidential source, however, and had not taken the required training to use informants. Nor could he show investigators instances — such as through text messages —- of times when Hannah served as an informant or source of information. Instead, the federal complaint states, 'the situation was reversed: MADLOCK, the police officer, is providing information to HANNAH, the wanted fugitive. MADLOCK did not have a cogent response.' The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression says the case points to a need for greater community oversight of the police. Although Madlock was arrested over the course of the federal investigation, he remained on the force for years after being flagged on the Brady List as an officer with integrity issues. The fact that the integrity concern was raised over Madlock's lack of investigating a reported shooting raises further red flags in the eyes of community members. 'If the Chief of Police will not hold his own police officers accountable, we need a mechanism through which the people of Milwaukee, the people who are policed, can hold them accountable,' the Alliance said in a statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
