LAPD detective charged with trying to buy illegal gun silencer from China
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LOS ANGELES — A South Los Angeles police detective is being accused of trying to buy a gun silencer from China as part of a counterfeit gun deal. Los Angeles County prosecutors say two people bought silencer parts from the same shop in China. That would allow one person to make a silencer that is impossible to detect. Los Angeles Times
A Los Angeles police detective was arrested Friday and charged with attempting to buy fake silencer parts and other weapons equipment from China.
The allegations against Richard Jones come after state regulators charged Los Angeles police with selling gun silencers to undercover buyers in China. The state Department of Justice says in a lawsuit that they discovered LAPD officers in the Los Angeles district had been involved in an illegal sale of gun silencer parts.
Both state attorneys who helped make the accusations in the civil lawsuit have now opened new criminal charges against Jones.
Investigators are still trying to identify all the silencer parts that were purchased by Jones and two other suspects, according to officials.
Jones’ attorney, James Strosberg, said in a statement that his client was arrested “on suspicion of being involved in the alleged illegal sale of silencer parts in violation of California law.”
The investigation also revealed that Jones was trying to sell other illegal items including illegal cell phone parts, a silencer and a high-power rifle scope, according to the complaint.
In a statement issued in a statement to The Times, LAPD Assistant Chief Bill O’Leary said the department is cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation.
“The allegations made in this case represent an extraordinarily serious and coordinated law enforcement effort involving numerous agencies and federal authorities,” O’Leary said.
Police Chief Charlie Beck said in