La Canada attorney arrested

A La Cañada attorney was arrested oct. 31 on a felony complaint charging him with possessing child pornography and an assault weapon.

According to the arrest warrant issued by the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles, Walter Loustari, 57, of Glendale is charged with three felony counts of being in possession of possessing materials depicting the sexual exploitation of a child and one felony count o fillegal possession of an Uzi assault rifle.

The investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began over two years ago as part of its investigation of an alleged hard core child pornography site on the Internet. Glendale police executed a search warrant at Loustari’s Glendale apartment on Friday.

Loustari was arrested at his La Cañada law office of Burlinson and Loustari, in the 1100 block of Foothill Boulevard, without incident.

“I have known him for over 30 years,” said Bob Burlinson. “We have been partners for [over 20] years.”

Burlinson said he was uncertain why Loustari was arrested in La Cañada rather than his home in Glendale but stressed that his firm had no knowledge of this incident and Burlison was shocked when he learned of the arrest.

“I would be shocked and dismayed if these charges [were true],” he said.

Loustari is on administrative leave from the firm and will be defending himself against the charges, Burlinson said. As for the charges against Loustari he said, “We [the firm] are not the tryer of fact (jury),” adding that he will not make a judgment until all the facts are known.

Loustari was released on $95,000 bail on Friday.