Santa Clarita, CA — On Tuesday it was announced that three people had been arrested in Santa Clarita after allegedly setting up a phony police department for unknown ends. According to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Tonette Hayes, 59, David Henry, 46, and Brandon Kiel, 31, were arrested, booked on suspicion of multiple counts of impersonating a police officer, and released on bail on April 30th. Kiel, who was placed on administrative leave from his job with the state Department of Justice, was also charged with misusing a government id, and Henry has been charged with perjury and will appear in court on May 21.
Hayes, Henry, and Kiel first fell under suspicion in February, when they visited the Santa Clarita sheriff’s station. They told Capt. Roosevelt Johnson that they were with the Mason Fraternal Police Department and that they were planning to begin law enforcement operations in the city. The MFPD had also sent out letters to other local law enforcement stations and departments and even have a website which claims their organization is descended from the Knights Templar and identifying David Henry as the Absolute Sovereign Grandmaster. The website also says that the MFPD has jurisdiction in over 30 states and Mexico.
No matter what your goals are, impersonating a police officer is a serious offense that can lead to prison time and fines in the event of a conviction. The best thing you can do for your defense if you’ve been charged with a crime in Southern California is to hire a skilled criminal defense attorney to represent you. Having a lawyer on your side greatly increases your chances of being acquitted or successfully making a deal with prosecutors. No matter what strategy you want to use in court, legal representation is an invaluable resource.
At the Law Office of Michael L. Guisti, we’ve been defending clients from all over Southern California for over 16 years, and in that time we’ve built up a strong reputation for having charges reduced or dismissed. Our team of dedicated legal professionals have years of experience fighting charges like murder, assault with a deadly weapon, DUI, fraud, theft, drug possession, and domestic violence. We aren’t afraid of taking on difficult cases and we never give up on our clients.
The rest of your life won’t stand still when you’re charged with a crime. In addition to your personal and professional obligations, your schedule can be taken over by depositions, hearings, and court dates. When you come to our firm, we’ll do everything in our power to make the process more convenient. We can help you tackle your legal problems while you try to keep the rest of your life together.
Working in Orange County means that we get to be a part of one of the most diverse and vibrant communities in the country. As part of our dedication to serving the local population and nearby court districts, we operate out of offices in Garden Grove, Irvine, Santa Ana, and Newport Beach. We also offer foreign language assistance in Spanish, Chinese, and other languages as necessary.
So if you or a loved one has been charged with a crime and need legal representation in Southern California, call the Law Office of Michael L. Guisti at (714) 707-2797 for a free consultation.
Sources:
Bloom, Tracy and Steve Kuzj. “Kamala Harris Aide, 2 Others Arrested After Allegedly Running Fake Police Force in Santa Clarita.” http://ktla.com/2015/05/06/3-arrested-after-creating-fake-international-police-force-lasd/. KTLA 5. 6 May 2015.
Serna, Joseph, Javier Panzar, and Matt Hamilton. “Bizarre fake police force included Kamala Harris aide, prosecutors say.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-aide-harris-accused-rogue-police-force-20150505-story.html. Los Angeles Times. 6 May 2015.
