Ex-cop convicted of posing as federal agent to extort marijuana

(CN) — A federal jury on Friday convicted a former California police officer of posing as a federal agent to extort marijuana from drivers and then lying to investigators to cover up the crimes.

Joseph Huffaker, 40, who worked for the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety from 2012 to 2019, was found guilty on six counts after a weeklong trial before U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney. The charges included conspiracy to commit extortion, impersonating a federal officer and falsifying records in a federal investigation.

The case centers on a scheme that prosecutors say began after California voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016, legalizing recreational marijuana and ending a lucrative drug interdiction program that had been a source of pride for the small police department about an hour north of San Francisco. Prosecutors said Huffaker and his co-conspirator, Brendan Jacy Tatum, continued seizing marijuana even after the program was shut down.

The two officers would drive far outside their jurisdiction in an unmarked vehicle, dressed in generic tactical gear without badges and pull over drivers they suspected of carrying large amounts of cannabis. They would then falsely claim to be agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and threaten arrest if drivers refused to hand over their marijuana.

“No traffic stop should turn into a shakedown,” United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian said after the verdict. “Misconduct by police officers undermines public safety and jeopardizes public cooperation with law enforcement. Huffaker’s actions threw a shadow of suspicion over multiple law enforcement agencies which, thankfully, were quick to investigate and discover his scheme.”

The pair’s plot began to unravel after a Dec. 18, 2017, traffic stop in which the officers seized over 20 pounds of marijuana from Barron Lutz, owner of a marijuana company called Humboldt Private Reserve. Lutz was transporting the cannabis to the Bay Area for required lab testing when he was pulled over by the unmarked SUV equipped with police lights.

“I didn’t know if I was being robbed or arrested. I felt confused,” Lutz testified during the trial. When he asked for documentation of the seizure, he said the officers responded with a veiled threat: “They asked me if I wanted to make a large federal case of it, or if I’d prefer to be let go. I said I’d prefer to be let go.”

The scheme marked a dramatic fall for officers once praised for their drug enforcement work. During the legitimate interdiction program that ran from 2014 to early 2017, Tatum had won awards and seized over 4,000 pounds of marijuana, 20 firearms, a dozen vehicles and more than $4 million.

Brian Masterson, the former police chief, testified that the department had to buy multiple outdoor shipping containers just to store the cannabis because the smell was wafting through the station.

But Proposition 64 changed everything. After voters legalized recreational marijuana, Masterson disbanded the interdiction team in January 2017. When Tatum and Huffaker approached him about continuing enforcement through a federal partnership, Masterson was clear in his response.

“I told them ‘absolutely not,’” he testified, adding that it was “pretty clear” the voters had approved marijuana legalization. “I think both Sgt. Tatum and Officer Huffaker were a bit disappointed.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani said the case demonstrates that law enforcement will police its own ranks.

“Today’s verdict affirms that no one is above the law,” he said. “Joseph Huffaker betrayed the sworn oath he took as a police officer and used his position to extort money and marijuana from drivers under the guise of legitimate law enforcement.”

Huffaker faces up to 20 years in prison on the most serious charges. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15. Tatum, who pleaded guilty in 2021 and testified as a cooperating witness, will be sentenced on Sept. 3.

The extortion scheme has already cost the city of Rohnert Park nearly $1.9 million in settlements with victims — with more lawsuits still pending.

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