Sheriff’s Sergeant Admits Lying : Court: Prosecution’s key witness in skimming case says he cooperated with the government in hopes of avoiding prison. He acknowledges covering up acts of brutality by deputies.

The key prosecution witness in the money-skimming trial of seven Los Angeles County deputies admitted Friday that he is a “convincing liar” cooperating with the government in hopes of avoiding prison.

Former Sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Sobel, a 20-year veteran of the department who has already pleaded guilty to two counts in the case, also acknowledged covering up acts of brutality by deputies and said planting false evidence on suspects is justified to obtain a conviction.

Sobel also was described by a defense attorney as a man who did nothing to stop rampant misconduct in his narcotics unit, a characterization that Sobel acknowledged.

The attack on Sobel’s credibility came during a cross-examination of the witness by James Riddet, who is defending Deputy Eufrasio Cortez, one of the seven officers now on trial in federal court.

“If the government found out about it (the stolen money), you knew you’d go to prison for a long time,” Riddet said. “You wanted to make a deal.”

“Yes,” Sobel replied.

“You wanted to avoid prosecution for as much misconduct as you could,” the attorney said.

“I suppose that’s true,” Sobel answered.

Sobel and the deputies, all members of elite narcotics squads, are accused of skimming an estimated $1.4 million in cash seized in drug raids in the worst corruption scandal to strike the nation’s largest sheriff’s department.

Sobel confirmed that to him, the most important ingredient of his plea agreement was a guarantee of immunity from prosecution in other crimes, beyond the conspiracy and tax evasion charges to which he pleaded guilty.

Riddet detailed a number of instances in which deputies under Sobel’s command brutally beat suspects in the presence of their sergeant while he did nothing to stop them. Sobel confirmed the allegations and admitted that he lied to the department’s internal affairs investigators to cover them up.

He testified that Deputy Robert Tolmaire and other deputies working under Sobel in 1985 and 1986 beat suspects while they were handcuffed or even in a prone position. Tolmaire was not one of the deputies indicted in the case.

Sobel said that he lied while being interviewed in 1988 by department officials investigating the allegations of excessive force by Tolmaire.

And, while Sobel testified that he often witnessed Tolmaire abusing suspects in his custody, he said he lied to internal affairs investigators, telling them that Tolmaire was “extremely effective in developing an informant.”

Sobel also told the investigators Tolmaire was “not a heavy-handed officer who goes around thumping people.”

“You were a pretty good liar in those days,” Riddet said. “You are a convincing liar, aren’t you, Mr. Sobel?”

“I suppose so,” Sobel answered.

Riddet attacked Sobel for refusing to intervene--and sometimes participating--in the misconduct by his deputies, including incidents of beatings, filing false police reports, falsifying sworn search warrant affidavits, planting evidence and stealing money.

“You were supervising a team of complete lawlessness,” Riddet said.

“I agree with that,” Sobel replied.

Sobel admitted he knew of about six occasions in which his deputies planted drugs on suspects or on their property to get a prosecutor to file charges.

“What is the criminal justice system designed to do?” Riddet asked.

“To protect the innocent,” Sobel said.

“You and your crew totally destroyed this system, didn’t you,” Riddet said.

“I felt they were drug dealers,” Sobel answered.

“If you felt someone was a drug dealer, you could plant evidence and frame them?” Riddet asked.

“Yes.”

In addition to Cortez, the other deputies now on trial are Terrell Amers, James Bauder, Ronald Daub, John Dickenson, Macario Duran and Daniel Garner.

Deputies Nancy Brown and Michael Kaliterna face a separate trial.