LOS ANGELES : 14 New Felony Counts Filed Against Ex-LAPD Detective

Fourteen additional felony counts have been filed against a recently retired Los Angeles police detective who once conducted some of the department’s most sensitive organized crime investigations--but was arrested in July for allegedly committing a series of armed robberies.

Michael D. Brambles, 45, who had been free on $200,000 bail, was taken back into custody Thursday when bail was raised to $500,000 after he appeared in Los Angeles Municipal Court for a preliminary hearing. Although that proceeding was delayed, Deputy Dist. Atty. Ken Lamb sought the higher bail based on the additional charges against Brambles, who was arrested July 5.

The additional charges include counts alleging that he raped one robbery victim and forced another to perform oral sex.

Though the robberies--most at restaurants or small stores near closing time--began before Brambles’ official retirement in March, police officials said he was not on duty at the time, having taken early leave.

Lamb said the new charges were filed after additional crime victims came forward.

During 23 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, Brambles was given many high-profile assignments, including heading the investigation into the ZZZZ Best carpet cleaning company and serving as the LAPD’s main contact with the so-called “Beverly Hills madam,” Elizabeth Adams, who passed him the pillow talk intelligence gleaned by her call girls.

Authorities said the armed robbery spree ended in early May when Brambles was picked up for questioning after one victim, a security guard, spotted him at an Inglewood motel and insisted that he was the gunman, police said. Brambles, who lives in Las Vegas, has pleaded not guilty.