Jury Convicts 2 in Probe of Deputies’ Drug-Money Skimming : Courts: A third man is acquitted of federal charges that he stole from dealers he was investigating. One of the two found guilty was from Northridge.

A federal court jury Tuesday convicted two men in a lengthy investigation into drug-money skimming by deputies in elite units of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, including a Northridge deputy already convicted on related charges.

The jury, after nine weeks of trial and four days of deliberation, also acquitted a third deputy late Tuesday. The acquittal was one of the few cases that federal prosecutors have lost since the beginning of a continuing investigation by several agencies that has resulted in the convictions of 29 deputies over the past five years.

Robert James Bardon, 41, was acquitted of charges that he stole money from drug dealers he was investigating, specifically by taking funds seized by a federally funded anti-narcotics program run by the Sheriff’s Department.

“He is relieved,” said Bardon’s lawyer, John Vandevelde. “His life was put on hold for over a year. Now he wants to get on with his life.”

After the indictments were returned by a federal grand jury in May, Bardon was suspended without pay, and has applied for a stress disability pension, Vandevelde said. It was unclear Tuesday whether the department would reinstate him or whether he even wants to be reinstated, his lawyer said.

Defendants Macario Duran and J.C. Miller also were accused of stealing what amounted to tens of thousands of dollars during house searches, arrests and stings.

Duran, 48, of Northridge, was convicted of three counts of theft of money from a program receiving federal funds, and one count each of conspiracy and money laundering. He faces a maximum of 45 years imprisonment and fines of up to $1.25 million, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Stefan Stein, one of two prosecutors in the case.

Miller, 50, of Los Angeles, was convicted of conspiracy, four counts of theft from a program receiving federal funds and two tax fraud counts, Stein said.

Miller, who had been suspended pending the outcome of the case, faces a maximum sentence of 51 years and fines of up to $1.75 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Sentencing for both defendants is set for May 3 before Senior U.S. District Judge Laughlin Waters.

Duran’s lawyer could not be reached for comment, but Miller’s attorney said he plans to appeal. Lawyer Robert Ramsey Jr. said Miller was convicted based on testimony from other former deputies who have a motive for testifying: cooperation in an ongoing investigation that could help them with their own legal problems.

“Three other deputy sheriffs testified that they did a lot of stealing and that they did it with my client and the others” charged in the case, Ramsey said. “I don’t believe it. I think they’re lying.”

Ramsey also said government prosecutors unfairly convicted his client by showing the jury financial statements for Miller’s girlfriend.

“In order to corroborate that my client had access to (stolen) cash, they showed his girlfriend had cash and attributed it to him when there was absolutely no evidence that it was his money at all,” Ramsey said.

Stein, assigned to prosecute sheriff’s deputies accused of crooked conduct as part of the “Operation Big Spender” investigation, defended the convictions.

“Obviously, we are disappointed with the one (acquittal) verdict with respect to Mr. Bardon, but generally we are very pleased with the results,” Stein said. “This investigation has been going on for over five years and we are doing whatever we can to make sure that justice is done.”

The investigation has badly shaken the Sheriff’s Department, especially since many of those deputies convicted were part of the elite “majors” squads that prosecute drug dealers. Authorities want deputies in such units to be above temptation because of the large amounts of drugs and cash to which they have access.

According to trial evidence, Duran and Miller stole the money between 1987 and 1989, when they were members of the “Major Violators III” elite narcotics squad based in Whittier, Stein said. Bardon was suspected of participating in the theft of at least $5,000, according to his indictment.

Duran has been fired from the department and already has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison based on earlier corruption charges that included making false statements to authorities, Stein said. The details of those convictions were unavailable late Tuesday.

The ongoing investigation is being run by the Sheriff’s Department, the FBI and the IRS.