A man who authorities said illegally trafficked in police badges from the Manzanita Tribal Police Department pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge.
Colin Gilbert, 80, of Marina del Rey, was one of two men who agreed to plead guilty last December. He entered his plea to one count of making false statements, which carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Akiva Grunewald, 45, of West Los Angeles, agreed to plead guilty on Feb. 5 to one count of bribery, a crime that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison.
Sentencing for Gilbert was scheduled for April 8 in downtown Los Angeles.
Prosecutors say Gilbert and others recruited wealthy people beginning in 2016 to join the Manzanita Tribal Police Department, even though Gilbert lived nearly 200 miles from the Manzanita Reservation and was not a member of and had no affiliation with the Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
The wealthy individuals were asked to make a payment ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 and sometimes described as a “donation,” in exchange for membership in the tribal police. Prosecutors said the buyers wanted to secure law enforcement benefits they believed would come with the affiliation.
In one alleged instance, Gilbert in 2019 arranged for a person with no law enforcement experience to pay $5,000 to become a member of the tribal police department, with the buyer saying he wanted to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, prosecutors said.
Gilbert allegedly lied to FBI investigators in November 2019, in part by saying “everybody that I had brought on had proper credentials, had the proper training, had everything done correctly,” according to his plea agreement.
He also falsely claimed to the FBI that everyone, including the newest recruit, had taken a specific law enforcement training class before receiving credentials. After his interview with the FBI, Gilbert called the new recruit and asked him to return the credentials and, if ever asked, deny having received them, court papers allege.
Prosecutors said that Grunewald in 2018 gave the Manzanita Tribal Police Department chief $20,000 in hopes of obtaining a police badge, despite having no law enforcement training or experience. Prosecutors allege he wanted the badge to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
After obtaining the badge, Grunewald — who allegedly was a drug addict and unlawful user of oxycodone and other narcotics — was pulled over by Culver City police after an officer saw him run across a busy street and enter a black Range Rover that was missing a front license plate, had tinted windows, and had a rear license plate that belonged to a different car.
During the traffic stop, Grunewald displayed his Manzanita PD badge and identified himself as a police officer, prosecutors said. Grunewald “was shaking visibly, sweating, and appeared extremely nervous,” his plea agreement states.
The police officer asked Grunewald to exit the vehicle after Grunewald said he was carrying a firearm on his right hip. During a search of the vehicle and Grunewald, law enforcement recovered two loaded firearms, about 43 oxycodone pills, a police gun belt with handcuffs, a collapsible baton, a tactical vest, pepper spray, and numerous other badges and credentials associated with other law enforcement agencies, according to the DOJ.
In October 2021, Anthony Vazquez, 51, of Oxnard, pleaded guilty to stealing more than $300,000 while serving as the head of the Manzanita Tribal Police from 2012-18, prosecutors said. According to the DOJ, he sold fake badges to buyers who made substantial payments to become members of the Manzanita Tribal Police Department and have privileges available to law enforcement officers, such as carrying concealed weapons.
Vazquez is scheduled for sentencing on April 29.
City News Service contributed to this report.