FBI Informant Sues Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES (CN) - Sheriff's deputies "kidnapped" a man cooperating with the FBI investigation of corruption in L.A. County jails by moving him around the system under phony names, the man claims in court.

Anthony Brown sued Los Angeles County, former Sheriff Leroy D. Baca, former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, and eight deputies in Federal Court on Tuesday.

Six sheriff's officers were sentenced to prison last year after being convicted of conspiring to obstruct the FBI investigation of civil rights abuses in L.A. County jails.

Sheriff Baca resigned in January 2014.

Brown claims he was being held in the Men's Central Jail in September 2011 when the defendants found out he was helping the FBI "during its investigation into corruption and abuse by LASD [Los Angeles Sheriff's Department] deputies operating in the LASD jails."

"As soon as defendants became aware of plaintiff's cooperation with the FBI's investigation, they conspired to retaliate against plaintiff for his participation as an informant and obstruct that investigation by intentionally ... hiding and/or kidnapping plaintiff in the jail system under fictitious identities, covertly moving him about and throughout the LASD's jail system, and unreasonably kept him in isolation without cause," the complaint states.

Brown says he was, and still is, very sick and has many chronic illnesses, including diabetes and coronary artery disease. He claims the deputies refused to give him adequate medical care to punish him for cooperating with the FBI.

The deputies "physically abused, harassed, tormented and tortured" him so he would tell them everything he knew about the investigation and which illegal incidents he had reported to the FBI agents, Brown claims.

He says he feared they would hurt him or order other inmates or gang members to kill him "because defendants told him, 'No witness, no conviction.'"

Brown says Sheriff Baca oversaw the scheme, which was dubbed "Operation Pandora's Box." He claims Baca ordered deputies to move him around in the jail system and keep him in isolation to hide him from the FBI.

The Sheriff's Department did not return requests for comment by the close of business hours Thursday.

Brown seeks punitive damages for cruel and unusual punishment, municipal and supervisory liability, failure to provide adequate medical care, retaliation and civil conspiracy.

He is represented by Milton Grimes.

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