Ex-Deputy Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Corruption Charge in Connection with Jail Probe

Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012
2:18 p.m. PDT

Serving San Marino, Pasadena, San Gabriel, Alhambra, Arcadia, South Pasadena

Published 01/13/2012 - 2:50 p.m. PDT

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A former Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy who
allegedly accepted money in exchange for smuggling
a cell phone, cigarettes and a note into the Men's Central Jail was charged
today with bribery.
Gilbert Michel, 38, was charged with one count of bribery of a public
official, according to a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court.
In a plea agreement also filed today, Michel agreed to plead guilty to
the charge and to cooperate in an ongoing federal probe of alleged misconduct
by deputies in the jail system, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Michel, who resigned from the sheriff's department in September, was
assigned to the men's jail in downtown Los Angeles.
In the plea agreement, Michel admits he agreed to accept the cash in
exchange for smuggling the contraband to an inmate. The inmate was working with
the FBI.
As part of the undercover operation, the informant let it be known that
he had access to large sums of criminally obtained cash and that he had a
friend outside jail who would pay a deputy to bring him a cell phone, according
to a statement of stipulated facts filed in federal court.
The confidential source gave a number of deputies the phone number to an
undercover FBI agent who was acting as the informant's associate outside, the
document shows.
In July, Michel called the number and eventually met with the undercover
FBI agent, who gave the deputy a cell phone and a $700 bribe for taking the
phone into the jail, according to the filing.
Shortly afterwards, the inmate called the undercover agent on the cell
phone, showing that the deal went through.
According to the document, the inmate only used the phone when Michel
was on duty, returning it to him prior to the end of the deputy's shifts, so he
could recharge the battery.
The inmate told Michel that he would have the undercover agent give the
deputy $2,000 each time Michel gave the inmate the phone.
Additionally, the inmate told Michel that he would have a $20,000
cashier's check sent to Michel or an associate as long as the deputy continued
to supply the phone and other items, court papers said.
On Aug. 4, the undercover agent and Michel met again and the deputy was
handed $800 for the phone and to take a written message -- or jailhouse
``kite' -- to the inmate.
At that meeting, Michel explained to the undercover that he was owed far
more money based on his agreement with the inmate.
However, no additional cash changed hands because the cell phone was
found within the jail by guards four days later, according to the document.
The charge of bribery of a public official carries a maximum of 10 years
in federal prison.
Michel is expected to make his initial federal court appearance Tuesday,
prosecutors said.