Trial of Burbank cop allegedly involved in bribery scheme delayed
A U.S. District Court judge last week delayed the trial of a Burbank police officer charged in an alleged bribery scheme until next April, according to court records.
Anthony Valento’s trial, which was originally slated to start Jan. 31, was continued to give defense counsel “the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation,” federal court records state.
Valento, who was indicted in November, is accused of soliciting money from his alleged girlfriend’s estranged husband, Jeremy Bassett, in exchange for influencing prosecutors to reduce or drop pending domestic violence charges against Bassett, according to court records. The domestic violence charges were dismissed in October.
The money was reportedly intended for Valento’s alleged girlfriend, Gayle Bassett, as part of her divorce settlement with Jeremy Bassett, court records state.
Gayle Bassett, a co-defendant in the case, is accused of allegedly lying to federal authorities during the investigation.
Valento is also accused of falsifying records and disabling his patrol car’s GPS device to make it appear as though he was working when he was not, according to his indictment.
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