Ex-LAPD Officer Gets Probation, Fine in Skimming Case

A plea bargain has ended a drug money-skimming case against a former Los Angeles police officer that had proved frustrating for federal prosecutors.

After two fruitless attempts to secure a conviction of retired policeman Stephen Polak, originally involving 13 felony counts carrying 36 years of possible prison time, the government Oct. 20 allowed him to plead guilty to two misdemeanors involving a tax charge and a money-skimming charge. A third trial--on tax charges--had been about to get under way.

On the same day, U.S. District Judge Robert M. Takasugi sentenced Polak, 45, to three years probation, a $50 fine and 75 hours of community service.

Both sides expressed relief Friday that the Polak case is over. Prosecutors have won 27 convictions of former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies for skimming millions of dollars of drug money while they were members of elite anti-narcotics units. Polak’s sentence is the lightest to be meted out.

In prosecuting Polak, the government first failed to secure skimming convictions against him and several other members of the so-called Southwest/Lennox anti-narcotics task force, a joint operation of the LAPD and the Sheriff’s Department. But some of the others in that group may be charged again, authorities said.

Then, prosecutors were unable to get Polak convicted of filing a false tax return. Similar charges against Polak’s former wife, onetime Sheriff’s Deputy Christina Townley, were ordered dismissed by Judge Takasugi on grounds that the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles was vindictively prosecuting her for refusing to cooperate.

Although a former sheriff’s sergeant, Robert R. Sobel, was an effective witness in some of the other drug money-skimming cases, several jurors said they did not believe him in the Polak tax case after he testified that he had lied more than 100 times in other testimony and had made sexual overtures to Townley when she was married to Polak.

Sobel also may have offended several black jurors when he testified that he had been involved frequently in the arrest of African Americans who were simply walking the streets and were innocent of any crime. The jury in the case deadlocked 9 to 3 for acquittal of Polak.

Polak, who is receiving a police pension after taking medical retirement, is teaching the administration of justice at community colleges. He said Friday that he is about to receive a master’s degree.

Despite substantial financial aid from the Los Angeles Police Protective League in paying his legal fees, he said his personal legal costs amount to $250,000.

“So, monetarily speaking, it crippled me,” he said, “and the charge meant much hardship and personal tribulation over a period of more than five years.”

Polak’s attorney, David Wiechert, said Friday, “I think both sides wanted to end this case.

“The moral of this story is that once the government sinks their teeth into a case, they won’t let go, and at some point the effects of continuing litigation are so debilitating on the defendant that he has to consider striking a deal,” Wiechert said.

A supervisor in the U.S. attorney’s office confirmed Friday that the plea bargain had been reached, but refused further comment.