Bernice Abram, the personable captain of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department station in Carson, was placed on administrative leave last April when FBI agents believed they may have heard Abram’s voice on a wiretapped phone conversation involving Compton drug dealers. (Abram’s niece, a sheriff’s custody assistant named Chantell White, was placed on leave at the same time.)
Now the LA Times reports that a sheriff’s deputy working in the department’s Compton station has filed a complaint alleging that Abrams not only got in the way of his investigation of suspected narcotics ring leader, Dion Grim—with whom Abrams reportedly had some sort of ongoing friendship—but that the Carson captain actively plotted with Grim to drum up citizen complaints against the deputy in order to get him out of the area.
Here’s a clip:
Although Abram denied knowing Grim in an interview with The Times last summer, Grim’s attorney, Marilyn Bednarski, said her client did in fact know the captain. She said she knew of nothing to suggest the relationship was improper.
A top Sheriff’s Department official said Abram brought Grim to department functions.
“I had no reason to suspect that anything was other than on the up and up,” Assistant Sheriff Cecil Rhambo said. “She’s in law enforcement. She’s a friend. I still don’t even know what’s going on with this; of course I’m shocked.”
But one sheriff’s deputy is accusing Abram of conspiring with Grim to deflect law enforcement attention away from his alleged gang associates in Compton.
Deputy Michael Haggerty filed an administrative complaint against the county last year, alleging that he had been unfairly transferred from a coveted assignment because of Abram. In his sworn statement, Haggerty alleged that the FBI secretly recorded Abram talking to Grim and plotting to manufacture citizen complaints against him so he’d be transferred out of Compton. At the time, Haggerty said he had been aggressively investigating Grim and the Front Hood Crips.
Abram, if you’ll remember, is one of those whom department sources told us was part of Undersheriff Paul Tanaka’s inner circle.
To date, the department’s internal investigation into the allegations against Abrams has been going on for nine months and the Carson station remains without an active captain.
NOTE: More about non-LASD news tomorrow, I promise. We actually do know there are other events going on the world.
For instance, it’s REALLY important for us all to note that California’s newly arrived, two-ish-year-old lone wolf—known as OR 7—has strayed still deeper into our fair state looking for love (the poor thing). Kevin Roderick has more at LA Observed.
By the way, OR 7 is reportedly a descendent of the Yellowstone Pack that was reintroduced into the greater Yellowstone area in 1995 after being hunted out of existence in the region in the 1930s.
This is pathetic, I hope Shinee is helping Haggerty with this case. If it is all true, I hope Haggerty TAKES HER TO THE CLEANERS. It will be interesting to see the response of Baca, Tanaka and Rhambo once the criminal investigation is completed along with the IA. Prohibited Association, General Behavior, Conduct Towards Others, Obedience to Rules, Regulations and Laws should be just the starting point of the IAB investigation. Haggerty, expose all of it, let us see what really happened.
It’s not clear how Leroy and Paul will react to the completed Abram criminal investigation. But since Haggerty is a white guy working a station policing a large minority demographic, let’s hope history (FORI Commander Cecil?) doesn’t repeat itself with Cecil labeling Hagg (like AV Deps) a “racist cowboy.”
I thought it was common knowledge that she divorced her husband and got herself a new younger boytoyfriend – which everyone knew about her dating relationship with the biggest Carson spoiled brat loser Dion Grim. I’m trying to figure out if Dion calls her MOM, Mother, or $ugar mama? Can someone help me out with that simple question? Grim’s father and his waste collection company cash has always dropped political influence on saving his poor little misunderstood GANGSTER son……Great American Family Values. Hey, smoking chronic is becoming a leisure minority past time – let the LASD Captain slide on this one – and the niece too. There are bigger fish to fry at LASD Brass.
Really? Bigger fish huh!! Would you feel the same if this officer that was targeted by someone they work with was your child,uncle or brother? I think not!!! Let’s face it by his superior making the decision that she would play both sides of the fence. She was ultimately putting Michael in harms way. This IMO is wrong on so many levels. I think being a LA sheriff in Compton has got to be a hard enough job. Not to mention a WHITE guy in Compton. To the comment about being labeled a “racist cowboy” I doubt that would be an issue as his wife is Latino.
what did i miss? racist cowboys and a white guy in Compton? Am I being naive? This a race thing or a corruption caper? Oh I get it, is it all the black parties are ganging up on the white guy? How about all the parties ganging up on that guy at Aero Bureau for spiling the beans? Let’s put a sock in it. Haggerty got hosed and the guy at Aero bureau got hosed because somebody has some explaining to do about some bad poo poo breaking out all over the place. And from where I sit, I see a hella lot of diversity that won’t be doing black, white, brown or yellow time. It’ll be jail time, period. Don’t hang around under the windows, ya never know when the jumping will start.
Re: Erica and I’m So Confused –
The prism through which the A/S sees the world is deeply tinted with race. I don’t think his past comments as a commander in FORI about “cowboys” and racists and “racist cowboys” who were working in the two AV stations were about black, Asian and Hispanic deputies assigned there. It IS a corruption plate, definitely, with a side dish of one A/S’s and too many of his cronies’ (Abram, et al) racial bias. As predictably as the sun sets at night, the A/S automatically suspects a racist pushing a radio car around jacking poor gangstas in Compton.
Hey, they may be cowboys, but at least they didn’t shoot their partners!
Interested Party:
All our prisms are tinted. We live in a “racial” society, one of many things that keep us at each other. I’ve caught a few stones and thrown some myself out of anger, fear, and ignorance. That’s a whole ‘nother thread. I’m not gonna condone or combine both of them because there’s something ugly going on, and it’s too easy to hang a hat on that peg. It’s a distraction. Our problem is a lot bigger than that. We can get back to hating or loving each other later.
Everyone has a bias against one thing or another. It is human nature after all. We just hope that all are doing their jobs and putting those biases aside while on duty at the very least Is Haggerty a racist? Who knows and personally I don’t care as long as that didn’t play a part in his day to day work as a deputy sheriff. I just hope he was truly reassigned for his safety and not for other reasons. Otherwise another piece of the cookie is beginning to crumble.
I’m so confused & Jus a dep –
Point taken. However, comments from a then FORI commander, now an A/S, are just another very troubling tile in this huge mosaic of corruption. It might feel uncomfortable or uneasy; it may not fit PC regulations to discuss it, but airing this component of a whole dysfunctional organization will only help those with the power, to probe and fix it. The equivocations “All our prisms” and “Everyone has a bias” do not erase the existence of the mentality of one manager very high up in the organization. It is, legitimately, part of the big picture.
Coyote, who did you referring to when you said “atleast they didn’t shoot their partners”? Rhambo? Haggerty? Oh, they both have. My bad.
Interested Party:
[“All our prisms” and “Everyone has a bias” do not erase the existence of the mentality of one manager very high up in the organization. It is, legitimately, part of the big picture.]
Really? He’s a corrupt racist and he hurt somebody’s feelings, denied them access & due process, destroyed their opportunity, treated them differently, and he’s trying to even the score for everything that ever happened to him. And . . . ? Welcome to the Thunderdome. In my universe, corruption and insensitivity kinda go hand in hand. There are no PC regulations. There’s the truth and a buncha b.s.– usually identified as “motivation.” What I do see is a buncha folks behaving badly all across the spectrum. They seem to have put their racial and gender issues aside long enuff to screw the rest of us by ignoring 2/3rd’s of the department and divying up the rest of it among themselves. Yeah, I hear what you’re saying, but like I said before, we can go back to loving and hating each other later, ‘cuz right now there’s a 211 in progress, and they’re taking more than lunch money. How about we manage the mentalities in front of us by filing a class action lawsuit on behalf of everyone who didn’t get promoted,and got passed over for a good job ‘cuz they were deemed unacceptable for not making campaign contributions. That should be easy enuff to proove. Even Alads and PPOA can do that. Just check and see if the guy who got the job shows up on the contribution list. Let those union guys do some number crunching and tell us what the mathematical probabilty for getting promoted or a good job was for those who donated vs. those who didn’t. Then we can have a beer summit and call it a day, or go kick somebody in the shorts.
Now that the Feds got their hands on the kid with the cell phone down at MCJ, whatever happened to that narco investigation Tommie Spencer’s folks did before he bailed out and got that Harley as a parting gift? That caper was supposed to be the tip of the iceberg with sergeant, dep’s, and civilians involved. Did “mega-mind” shut that down, too? I wonder where those files are.
Why is Tanaka allowed to pick the executives? Lets see, He currently has four of his captain selections under investigation, two of which are relieved of duty! All of these individuals have donated to Tanaks’s election fund! Now Sheriff Baca says he will monitor the promotion process to ensure it’s fair and equatable. Tanaka was allowed to oversee all promotions for the last eight years advancing all of his little cronies.
Its too late Sheriff Baca, you should have been doing that a long time ago. Too many careers of good people have been wasted during this period!
Erica…
Save the tone that your husband is the first white deputy in south central to get shafted. The list is long and your tone does nothing to help your husbands plight. We are on his side and nothing ill was meant by the Bigger Fish comment.
Re: Erica
I am sure she did not mean her husband was the only white deputy to be targeted in south central, but should be very careful in her tone in how she addresses it on this website. Being a deputy myself, the list is indeed very long.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has been corrupt for years. I guarantee you if the LA Times does a thorough investigation on Officer Involved Shootings ( O.I.S) in the city of Compton you will be very surprised with the out come.
IMAGINE THAT………….DONT DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU DONT WANT DONE TO YOUR SELF
When I joined the department in the 1980´s it was stated
that there were not enough qualified men in california to
be recruited into the LA sheriffs dept. Most of my academy
comrads were from other states..When I entered the custody division, I met many white guys from Montana, Ohio,etc,
who were still calling black people colored. It was so funny to me. They were totally cultured shocked. The hard core white guys later went to Lynwood and Firestone stations and the black deputies went to Marina and Lennox stations. Latinos went to East LA station. Lynwood and Firestone later became Century station. The Century station boys were always braging about working at a fast station. I never understood their mentality because I grew up in Compton and I never had a badge and gun or back up units for protection. I even attended Compton High School. It is funny to me that these guys who don´t even live in these areas, but live in white suburbs as to why they love policing them so much. Sounds a little wicked to me.
Good lord….I’m mighty glad I chose to join the United States Marine Corps, after a stint as an explorer at Lakewood, with the intention of serving four years prior to applying for LASD, then ultimately choosing to make the corps my career.
Lmao, at all u dummies!! Everyone in Grim case got probation except for grim, he will do close to a year.. The sheriff lady retired and have a multi-million dollar lawsuit out.. Smh!!! Don’t believe everything you hear from the media..
It’s not a matter of Black or White. Abram used the color of authority to obstruct justice. I am Black, and want to see her prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I have my own personal reasons! She is an arrogant, eveil person, and can’t wait for the FBI to bring down the hammer on her.