Key Witness for 6 Officers Called a Liar

Federal prosecutors sought Tuesday to chip away at the credibility of a Los Angeles police detective who testified for the defense of six narcotics officers on trial for alleged civil rights violations.

Although he has not been charged, Detective Anthony Robert Moreno was portrayed by prosecutors as a co-conspirator with five sheriff’s deputies and a Los Angeles Police Department officer accused of skimming drug cash, planting narcotics on suspects and beating drug dealers.

Moreno and the six defendants worked together on the Lennox-Southwest anti-drug team. As the first key defense witness, Moreno told jurors he never witnessed such wrongdoing while working on the crew in 1987.

But Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Emmick suggested that the 16-year Police Department veteran was lying to protect his fellow officers because Moreno himself remains a suspect in the joint federal and local investigation known as Operation Big Spender.

“You are a target of the investigation because the government believes you were involved in a conspiracy with these defendants,” said Emmick during cross-examination. “You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Moreno, who never wavered from testimony that he and his fellow officers had not engaged in illegal activities.

Emmick attempted to shake that testimony by saying that Moreno has failed to cooperate with government investigators while volunteering to assist his friends.

The prosecutor downplayed a threat that Moreno said he received from a department internal affairs officer. Moreno said the officer threatened to file administrative charges against Moreno if he testified for the defendants.

“There’s nothing illegitimate in their telling you where you stand in their eyes,” Emmick said.

The prosecutor said Moreno’s testimony is tainted because he could face charges for failing to report misconduct by fellow officers in 1987.

“If you are charged . . . you would be disgraced in the eyes of your fellow officers, wouldn’t you?” Emmick asked.

“I already have been disgraced,” said Moreno, who has been removed from field duty.

“And your family would also be disgraced,” the prosecutor added.

“That’s also happened, and I haven’t been charged with anything,” Moreno testified.