Contra Costa DA dismisses 40 cases due to Antioch, Pittsburg officers’ crimes of moral turpitude
Won’t be prosecuted because the cases are “compromised to the point they can’t be salvaged” – Ted Asregadoo, CCDA PIO
By Allen D. Payton
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has dismissed 40 cases from prosecution as part of the investigation into crimes of moral turpitude by Antioch and Pittsburg Police Officers announced in March. As previously reported, several officers were placed on paid administrative leave due to the accusations against them. (See related articles here, here and here)
Asked for details about the 40 cases, CCDA Public Information Officer Ted Asregadoo said he could not provide it as “it’s still an active investigation of the Pittsburg and Antioch officers.”
“Out of a group of the cases, there are 40 cases that can go forward in the investigative process. Approximately 40 of those cases were dismissed,” he continued.
Asked how cases were from which agency Asregadoo responded, “I can’t talk about that.”
“The DA’s office is involved in ongoing evaluations of the cases to determine if the cases are compromised due to the criminal wrongdoing and misconduct,” he stated. “Those 40 have been compromised to the point they can’t be salvaged so they were dismissed.”
“The Antioch and Pittsburg Police Departments are cooperating with us and are assisting,” Asregadoo shared. “It’s a complex endeavor and is wide ranging. The scope of it is not a single incident.”
Chief Assistant District Attorney Simon O’Connell offered the following statement about the matter:
“There are multiple officers who are subjects of an ongoing criminal investigation involving a range of offenses which constitute crimes of moral turpitude. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office is actively engaged in evaluating these cases to determine whether the charged case is compromised or whether the case can proceed. Community safety remains paramount, and the District Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in preserving as many cases as possible.”
An estimated three or five Antioch Police Officers are under investigation for the allegations against them.
Antioch Police still won’t say how many Antioch officers are under investigation, APD Public Information Officer Darryl Safford said. But he did confirm they are still on paid administrative leave. Asked if the DA’s office shared how many of the 40 cases were from Antioch Saffold said, “they have not informed us.”
In addition, an effort to reach new Pittsburg Police Chief Steve Albanese for details from his department was unsuccessful prior to publication time. Please check back later for any updates to this report.
