California narc officer arrested for selling seized drugs (and more)

[alp227]

San Francisco Chronicle: "San Ramon officer charged with drug, gun crimes":

A second member of an anti-drug law enforcement squad in Contra Costa County was charged Friday with selling drugs seized in raids and other crimes.

San Ramon police Officer Louis Lombardi, 38, of Discovery Bay was charged with stealing guns, selling drugs, embezzlement, illegally possessing an assault rifle and conspiracy. He did not enter a plea in his arraignment in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez, and is in custody in the county jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Lombardi was placed on leave after his arrest Wednesday outside police headquarters. In addition to his San Ramon job, Lombardi worked for four years as a special agent for the Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team, a now-suspended squad of law enforcement officers from agencies in the county.

The commander of the unit was Norman Wielsch, 50, a state Department of Justice narcotics agent who pleaded not guilty in February to charges that he stole drugs from evidence lockers and passed them on to his close friend Christopher Butler, a Concord private investigator.

According to the complaint, Lombardi turned to one of his confidential informants to help sell the drugs. He allegedly passed along half a pound of marijuana and 1,200 ecstasy pills last year to the informant, who lives in Arizona.

Investigators said Lombardi had the informant mail the profits from the drug sales to Lombardi's Discovery Bay home.

Lombardi in court:

[Warren DeMontague]

1. And we're shocked, why?

The drug war is the world's biggest scam.

[ZombieHorde]

2. The world is truly upside down. Selling drugs is fine; seizing drugs is bad.

We punish good behavior and encourage bad behavior. Existence is silly.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.