Former Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca has pleaded guilty to federal charges of lying to investigators, the culmination of a years-long investigation into abuses by jailers that ended up focusing on the cover-up and resulted in the indictment of over a dozen officials and deputies.
The investigation, which put an early end to Baca's career, could end with him spending time in federal prison. Baca is scheduled to be sentenced May 16. According to a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, he could face up to six months in prison.
“Today’s charge and plea agreement demonstrate that illegal behavior within the Sheriff’s Department went to the very top of the organization,” United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker said, reading a prepared statement at a press conference Wednesday.