SIMI VALLEY : Ex-Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Scam
A former Simi Valley police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday for his role in an illegal pyramid scheme that has already resulted in the conviction of another former officer along with four other men.
Raymond Madden admitted to one felony count, but Superior Court Judge Charles R. McGrath said he will reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor if a Probation Department report indicates the victims lost less than $5,000 in the scam.
Deputy Dist. Atty. James Ellison said he opposed the reduction because of Madden’s “position as a police officer.”
But Ellison said the Probation Department will be hard-pressed to find that more than $5,000 was lost because the pyramid schemes were widespread throughout Southern California, and financial records for scams outside Ventura County have not been found.
Michael Cratch, another Simi Valley police officer, had his felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor under similar circumstances last month.
Madden, who resigned from the police force after his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 22.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
