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Sunday, October 31, 2021

Inglewood Police Officer Arrested, Faces Federal Drug Trafficking Charges

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

A veteran Inglewood police officer and a man once approved to be his confidential informant are facing federal drug trafficking charges, according to court documents unsealed on Friday.

John Abel Baca, a 45-year-old Whittier resident and a 21-year veteran of the Inglewood Police Department, was arrested Oct. 21 after a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging him with distribution of cocaine, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Central District of California.

Baca’s case was unsealed Friday after his alleged accomplice, 42-year-old South Los Angeles resident Gerardo Ekonomo, was arrested, prosecutors said.

FBI agents carried out a search warrant Thursday at Ekonomo’s home, where they seized drugs buried in his yard, a gun and ammunition inside the residence, prosecutors said.

In all, authorities found over a kilogram of heroin and more than a half-kilogram of suspected cocaine at Ekonomo’s residence, prosecutors said. A kilogram is about 2.2 pounds.

He was named in a criminal complaint filed Friday that charges him with possession with intent to distribute heroin, prosecutors said. Ekonomo is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

According to the indictment, Baca knowingly distributed cocaine on April 29 in Orange County.

The veteran police officer, who also served as a police union representative, allegedly delivered cocaine to a person who was cooperating with law enforcement, prosecutors said.

“Baca allegedly delivered approximately one kilogram of cocaine to the same cooperating witness during another meeting on May 4, in exchange for $22,000 in cash,” prosecutors said.

The officer got approval for Ekonomo to work as a confidential source five years ago, but investigators couldn’t find any evidence that Ekonomo was ever signed up as an informant, according to an affidavit.

The document noted that Ekonomo was arrested by North Las Vegas police officers on June 16 after they found 3 kilograms of heroin in his vehicle.

On July 13, Baca contacted an officer in that department to ask about Ekonomo’s status and whether he could “work off” the case by cooperating, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Baca’s alleged intervention in that case shows that he is willing to abuse his position as a police officer to advance his drug trafficking activities and help his accomplices.

The North Las Vegas charges against Ekonomo were not dropped and remain pending, authorities said.

Baca’s trial is scheduled for Dec. 14 in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, prosecutors said.

If convicted as charged in the indictment, he faces a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison.

Ekonomo faces a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum life sentence if convicted as charged, prosecutors said.

Further information about the case was not available on Friday.

A representative of the Inglewood Police Department did not respond to multiple phone calls or emailed questions regarding Baca’s status.

L A Times

12 comments:

  1. It happens but extremely rare in the greatest country in history! And by no means am I a blind police supporter. Unfortunately, In Mexico it’s considered mandatory best practices. The full sentence should be imposed on the pig, even more so than the rat. On a different note hero chauvin was railroaded! The “martyr” Fentanyl Floyd received more mercy than the pregnant woman he home invaded and held a gun on!

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    1. 10:29 what mercy did he receive his dead you tatara. He was a piece of shit just like the cop that killed him. doesn't mean all cops are the same or the color of your skin make you the same. We don't blame all whites just stupid people like you that create the Divide I'm not black but f*** that cop

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    2. 10:29 a jury has convicted Chauvin and Co, even his own police department brothers, the Police Union, government members US politicians Americans of every color have condemned Chauvin, sure not the trompitos fans of the Unpresidented Disgrace, alias the Orange Orangutan who had no balls to presidential pardon Chauvin because Chauvin did not have the millions of dollars necessary or any dirt on your favorite criminal, the Donal'.
      Love your country,
      not your Führer...

      Delete
  2. Greedy cop, there goes his Job, his pension, pending divorce.

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  3. I remember the Inglewood police has always had a bad rap growing up.. theirs was an investigation done by the FBI on the Inglewood police like 12 years ago
    eLxBarrett

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  4. Inglewooooood always up to no gooood!!

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  5. Another one caught first the trooper in Texas now this cop in LA? Well I'll give credit to the cartels they really know how to convince anyone to be like them a low life scumback.

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    1. This actually happens much more often than anyone realizes and is frequently not put in news. Small town cops in wealthy, community town were just busted selling county drug hauls and selling elsewhere in state I lived in.

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  6. Baca sold a kilo of coke for 22K? Damn that's cheap. Must have been stepped on big time. Don Sol y Dona Hearst y fellow BBers...is that what coke costs in LA?

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    1. 10:47 they don't even know, what coca looks like, for that go to expert cuico El Comandante Harinas, (mexicano)

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    2. Horita vamos aver que pinche pedo lol

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    3. A little in the low side. More like 24-26k good quality. I've read...

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