CHP Dispatcher Pleads Guilty to Accessing Data for Gang
A civilian California Highway Patrol dispatcher accused of illegally accessing a law enforcement database for a biker gang has pleaded guilty, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Bruce Paul Boysen, 40, of Sunland, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of unauthorized computer access, a felony with a maximum sentence of three years in state prison, said Deputy Dist. Atty. John Gilligan. But by not going to trial, Boysen is expected to receive a 180-day jail sentence and probation.
Boysen was caught in an undercover operation by federal law enforcement. An agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms infiltrated the Mongols, a so-called outlaw motorcycle club. His investigation eventually resulted in the arrest of 42 members on suspicion of crimes ranging from murder to narcotics offenses.
“During the course of the investigation, the agent was told by other Mongols that they had a contact in law enforcement who gave them information,” Gilligan said.
Boysen met the agent at a Tujunga bar frequented by bikers, and when the man asked Boysen to look up information about his motorcycle registration, Boysen did so using his CHP computer, prosecutors said. Agency employees are prohibited from using the computers for nonofficial business.
Boysen’s sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 10.
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.
