Two years ago, internal investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department learned that a group of Lakewood police officers had a tattoo of spades with the number 13 in common.

Interior Ministry officials told TV executives they asked dozens of deputies whether the image was a symbol of a criminal gang or small group, but deputies all said it was not.

At that time, As The Times reported last yearLater, the relevant departments stopped investigating.

But this week, documents filed in federal court in an unrelated case once again raised questions about the tattoos and the department's investigation into them.

In a plea agreement filed late Thursday, Deputy Sheriff Eric Chase Saavedra admitted to conspiring with a cryptocurrency tycoon who paid Saavedra monthly $100,000 to have deputies serve as his around-the-clock bodyguards and sometimes commit crimes. The 49-page plea agreement describes a series of crimes involving Saavedra and other unnamed sheriff's deputies who allegedly harassed and threatened people in an effort to intimidate the cryptocurrency tycoon's enemies and further his campaign. criminal target.

The now-fired deputy also admitted to lying on search warrants, writing false search warrants and using confidential law enforcement databases to find information about the cryptocurrency tycoon's enemies.

In a paragraph in the middle of the agreement, Saavedra admitted to having a Lakewood Station tattoo — something he said he received only after other tattoo representatives voted to allow him to get one.

The plea agreement does not refer to the group as a vice gang or subgroup. But watchdog officials have long said exclusionary practices — such as voting to allow delegates to have tattoos — are hallmarks of controversial groups.

"Secrecy and exclusivity are prima facie evidence of gang activity within the tattoo community," said Inspector General Max Huntsman. "When the department validates this code of silence, we repeatedly see gang-like activity, such as what was found in this federal case."

Last year, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department defended its investigation into the Lakewood gang, saying there was "no evidence to support the allegation that a criminal gang existed within the Lakewood Police Department."

"As we actively work with our federal partners, we have briefed them on law enforcement gang concerns and asked them to review law enforcement gang activity in connection with ongoing criminal investigations," the department said in a statement this week. "The Sheriff is and will continue to use all available tools, including law enforcement partners, to identify and remove anyone involved in this type of behavior."

U.S. attorneys on the steps of the federal courthouse Friday morning. E. Martin Estrada said that while court documents showed Saavedra had a station tattoo, prosecutors "did not claim he was necessarily a member of any criminal gang" and did not charge him behavior related to gang activity. But he added that the investigation was still ongoing.

Brian Gurwitz, an attorney representing Saavedra, did not address the tattoo issue in comments Friday but said his client "recognizes that his actions were a breach of trust and takes responsibility for those actions." Deeply regretting the harm caused to the community he served for decades."

For half a century, the department has been dogged by accusations that groups of tattooed deputies have engaged in brutal behavior against some sheriff's stations and promoted a culture of violence. These gangster groups are often known by names such as "The Executioners," "The Bandits," "The Regulators" and "The Imps," and their members often have matching, sequentially numbered tattoos featuring gruesome images.

At the beginning of last year, a Highly critical of Office of Inspector General report Accused the department of failing to thoroughly investigate the gangs, saying officials still minimized evidence of gang activity and allowed cursory investigations that failed to identify suspected gang members. September, Sheriff Robert Luna unveils new anti-gang policy The bill prohibits membership in gangs or hate groups and requires department employees to participate in investigations of them.

Saavedra worked as a detective with the department until he was relieved of his duties. anti-gang unit. He testified as a gang expert, describing the kinds of bad behavior that help criminals move up in gangs, including robberies, thefts and shootings, court records show.

Although the department has long battled accusations of its own Secret Tattoo Group Known as 'Jump Out Boys' -- is its own bureau, with detectives assigned to different stations throughout the county. Saavedra was assigned to the Lakewood Station for several years.

There, Saavedra admitted in his plea agreement, he got the Lakewood Station's "unofficial symbol" tattooed on his left ankle: a spade with the number 13 inside.

"Defendant obtained the tattoo after the Lakewood Station Tattoo Panel voted to approve defendant's tattoo," the agreement continued. "Defendant was the 55th person to receive the tattoo."

The Lakewood gang first came to light during an investigation into possible members of the alleged vice gang - indian industrial station – He was reportedly fired after he allegedly got into a fight with some teenagers in a parking lot while drinking heavily OIG report and sources familiar with the case.

Four deputies were fired in connection with the incident, two of whom admitted to having industrial Indian tattoos, according to a Times investigation and subsequent oversight report. The fired deputies each appealed to the county Civil Service Commission, according to a county source who was not authorized to speak publicly.

When internal affairs investigators learned about the City of Industry group, they asked representatives if they knew of anyone else with such tattoos. But the OIG report said they were only able to identify two other possible members because investigators "did not press" for names.

However, the OIG report said one of the officers told investigators that he saw "a lot" of officers at the Lakewood station with spades tattoos. The officer said he wasn't sure if the tattoos were indicative of a clique or gang, so supervisors surveyed the department's 69 officers to learn more.

Of the 64 people who responded, 13 percent said they were aware of tattoos at the Lakewood station, and 100 percent said they were unaware of any gangs or cliques at the station, the report said.

“Based on my inquiries, I have not uncovered any potential violations or evidence that we have subgroups, factions or subgroups,” a lieutenant later wrote in a memo cited in the oversight report. “The morale of the Lakewood Station staff is positive, inclusive and creates a family atmosphere.”

In last year's report, the OIG was pessimistic about the adequacy of that response, and this week Huntsman criticized the department's "refuse" to investigate Lakewood Group last year.

"Perhaps the sheriff will now determine membership status to determine whether PC 13670 applies," he said, referring to state statutes prohibiting law enforcement gangs. "We thank the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their anti-corruption efforts."