LOS ANGELES — A historic investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department last year uncovered active deputy gangs inside the Compton, East LA, South LA and Lancaster stations, according to a report from Special Counsel Bert Deixler released Wednesday.

The report details tattooed groups of deputies with names like the Banditos and the Executioners that allegedly run a shadow chain of command that controls their respective stations.

“Most troubling, they create rituals that valorize violence, such as recording all deputy involved shootings in an official book, celebrating ‘shooting parties’ and authorizing deputies who have shot a community member to add embellishments to their common gang tattoos,” the report states.

The report, notably, did not include testimony from any victims of the alleged gang violence.

Fifteen witnesses testified at seven public hearings held by the Civilian Oversight Commission in 2022, including sworn members of the department and experts from other law enforcement agencies. Deixler’s team reviewed depositions and sworn statements from past and pending litigation, body camera footage and previous reports on the deputy gang problem by Loyola Law School, the Rand Corporation, the Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence and others.

“This cancer in the Department must be excised,” the report states.

A source familiar with the report said it has not yet been viewed by Sheriff Robert Luna. The department did not respond to a request for comment.

The Special Counsel repeatedly sought testimony from former Sheriff Alex Villanueva and former Undersheriff Timothy Murakami, who are still fighting subpoenas to testify under oath. While sheriff, Villanueva called the hearings a “kangaroo court” and criticized the oversight commission as politically driven.

In an hour-long Instagram live Wednesday, Villanueva called deputy gangs a “boogeyman” that his opponent, Luna, rode into office.

"I have not seen the report yet, but the entire process was created for the exclusive purpose of influencing the 2022 elections for sheriff," Villanueva said in a statement to Spectrum News. "The hearings were a farce, in a mock courtroom, designed to give the illusion of legitimacy. Cross examination of alleged "witnesses" was disallowed, and perjured testimony was reported as factual.  Inspector General Max Huntsman himself has admitted under oath that he cannot name a single deputy gang member, and multiple lawsuits have been dismissed in court for lack of evidence. The entire process would have been thrown out of a real court for being exposed for what it is, a political stunt designed to sway unsuspecting voters."

Luna pledged to eradicate deputy gangs on the campaign trail and successfully ousted Villanueva in November. In February, Luna announced the creation of an Office of Constitutional Policing to address deputy gangs, which have a documented history going back 50 years and violate a new California law prohibiting law enforcement gangs.

The series of public hearings was hindered by deputies refusing to testify, citing fears of retaliation by deputy gang members if they participated. At times, Deixler’s team relied on anonymous deputies calling into the hearing with their voices distorted to protect their identities. In all, the special counsel interviewed 80 witnesses to inform the report.

East LA and the 'Banditos'

An anonymous witness stationed in East LA testified the “Banditos” deputy gang controlled scheduling, training and assignments for trainees in 2022, accusing tattooed members of the Banditos of using intimidation and ostracism to run a shadow chain-of-command. A second anonymous witness said members of the Banditos assaulted colleagues and referred to themselves as “shot callers,” even imposing taxes on fellow deputies and denying back up as a form of retaliation.

“The witnesses observed that the Department enabled the Banditos control of the station and that known Banditos received promotions under Sheriff Villanueva,” the report states, alleging members brought gifts to Villanueva’s wife Vivian, a retired deputy, to procure promotions or retain power positions.

Overall, the report estimated 12 to 15 Banditos members continued to work in East LA, despite claims by Villanueva and the station’s captain that members had been transferred to other stations in an effort to break up the group.

South LA and the 'Reapers'

Two department captains asserted a South LA deputy who threatened to shoot a Black man sitting in his car is a member of a deputy clique inside the station. The report claimed the behavior is consistent with a lengthy history of gang behavior by a group of deputies known as the Reapers at the station.

Villanueva’s first chief of staff, Larry Del Mese, testified he had a Reaper tattoo removed when he received the promotion because it was a “liability” and a “bad look.” Separately, Captain Angela Walton described Del Mese as the “shot caller” when she worked at the station. The report accused Del Mese of instructing investigators not to ask deputies about tattoos or group affiliation when conducting internal investigations under Villanueva.

Concerns regarding County Counsel

The report slammed lawyers working on behalf of the county for enabling the groups by defending deputy gang members who engage in misconduct outside the scope of work as deputies. Last month, lawyers for the county filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by deputies in East LA who said they were assaulted by members of the Banditos at an after-hours party in 2018. The case is scheduled to go to trial in April.

In a separate incident, county lawyers tried to keep a jury from seeing a Compton deputy’s “Executioners” tattoo depicting a skeleton holding a rifle and wearing a Nazi-style helmet. The claim regarding excessive force against a citizen in Compton was ultimately settled by the county for $2 million.

County Counsel did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the anticipated release of the report.

Recommendations

The special counsel recommended Luna strengthen the department’s policy around “cliques,” and make clear the groups will no longer be tolerated, cautioning “the clique-culture is deeply embedded in the Department.” The report recommends a policy prohibiting tattoos that depict violence, the use of deadly force or other offensive images.

Villanueva instituted a policy during his tenure banging cliques that cause harm, but the report found the department repeatedly failed to investigate to find out if deputies were following the policy or if deputies involved in controversial use of force incidents had tattoos.

Statement from LA County Sheriff Robert Luna

“I want to thank the Civilian Oversight Commission for their report and diligent work on this important issue. I was elected to bring new leadership and accountability to this Department.  Last month, I announced the creation of the Office of Constitutional Policing, led by former US Attorney Eileen Decker. This Office will be staffed with attorneys, investigators, and auditors, and it will be tasked with helping to eradicate Deputy gangs from this Department.  The vast majority of the Department personnel are hardworking and dedicated professionals who are committed to humbly serving the community.  We look forward to working with the Civilian Oversight Commission and Inspector General on this in the future.” 

Statement from former LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva

"I have not seen the report yet, but the entire process was created for the exclusive purpose of influencing the 2022 elections for sheriff.  The hearings were a farce, in a mock courtroom, designed to give the illusion of legitimacy.  Cross examination of alleged "witnesses" was disallowed, and perjured testimony was reported as factual.  Inspector General Max Huntsman himself has admitted under oath that he cannot name a single deputy gang member, and multiple lawsuits have been dismissed in court for lack of evidence.  The entire process would have been thrown out of a real court for being exposed for what it is, a political stunt designed to sway unsuspecting voters."