Judge Convicts Ex-Officer Who Was Target of ‘Sting’

A former Hawthorne police officer who was the object of a narcotics “sting” conducted by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies was found guilty last week of grand theft and possession of cocaine and marijuana.

Lee Stewart Schramling, 42, who was dismissed from the police force two years ago after criminal charges were filed against him, was convicted by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aurelio Munoz after a non-jury trial.

The former police officer admitted in court that while on duty the night of Aug. 1, 1983, he found what he believed to be five or six grams of cocaine in a purse that had been left near a public telephone at a Hawthorne shopping center. Unknown to Schramling, the purse had been planted by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies.

Schramling brought the purse back to the police station, he testified, and then, without telling his partner what was inside, placed it in the back seat of his private car.

Deputies investigating the case later found a small amount of marijuana in Schramling’s police locker.

Schramling told Munoz that he had intended to book the cocaine, which amounted to 22 grams, as evidence the following morning, but, he said, he was anxious to meet a date that night and decided to postpone the paper work until the next day.

Deputy Dist. Atty. James E. Koller, who prosecuted the case, called Schramling’s story a lie. When Schramling found the cocaine, Koller said, “It’s my feeling he thought this was Christmas.”

Joe Ingber, Schramling’s attorney, told the judge, “You must come to the conclusion that he did not have criminal intent, he had lousy judgment.”

But Munoz disagreed.

“Mr. Schramling, I don’t believe you,” the judge said in announcing his verdict.

The sheriff’s investigation of Schramling was requested by the chief of the Hawthorne Police Department, but Koller said he did not know why. The prosecutor noted, however, that Schramling had been “counseled” in the past about proper procedures for booking narcotics evidence.

After the verdict, Ingber said, “I don’t think I’m ever going to stop trying to prove the call the judge made was wrong.”

He said he believed his client was singled out by the Hawthorne police because he was dating a woman who was also a companion of one of Schramling’s superiors.

Koller said he had no information about that allegation.

Schramling could face up to three years in state prison when he is sentenced by Munoz on Aug. 14.