Four men, including two retired LA County Sheriff’s deputies and two former soldiers from Australia and Great Britain, were indicted on Monday for their alleged involvement in a staged law enforcement raid on a home in Irvine. The resident of the home was reportedly held against his will and coerced into signing over business interests valued at over $37 million.
According to officials, an Irvine resident, who is an immigrant from China and a legal U.S. resident, was involved in a dispute with a former business associate in China. It is alleged that the associate paid over $400,000 to organize the raid in 2019.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada informed reporters in downtown LA that at a certain moment, a wealthy Chinese national decided to employ these mercenaries and task them with executing what they ultimately did.
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According to Estrada, the intention was to persuade the individual to sign a contract relinquishing their business rights. However, instead of a voluntary agreement, the person was coerced, intimidated, and extorted into complying.
One of the individuals involved in the plot was Steven A. Lankford, a retired deputy who was still working as a law enforcement officer during the time of the incident. Estrada stated that Lankford utilized his position, along with his badge and access to law enforcement databases and resources, to carefully strategize and carry out the raid.
According to Estrada, the deputy utilized his badge to gain access to the residence and employed his authority to intimidate the family and issue deportation threats against the businessman.
According to prosecutors, Lankford had retired in 2017 but decided to come back to the Sheriff’s Department as a part-time employee, working a limited number of hours each year. He was still in that capacity when the 2019 incident occurred.
The defense attorney representing Lankford chose not to provide any comments regarding the allegations.
The indictment alleges that the four individuals participated in a conspiracy to commit extortion and violate rights under the color of law. Additionally, Lankford is accused of attempting to impede an investigation into the raid after the victim reported it to the Irvine Police Department.
The four defendants appeared in U.S. District Court for the first time on Monday afternoon.
