The first criminal charges against Los Angeles police officers connected to the corruption investigation were filed Monday, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. A criminal complaint against Sergeant Edward Ortiz, Detective Brian Liddy and Officer Paul Harper involves at least a charge of planting a gun and covering up the deed, according to Los Angeles District Attorney's spokeswoman Victoria Pipkin. According to Pipkin, the charges are related to an arrest in 1996 of suspected gang member Allan Manrique Lobos who was arrested and convicted of felony gun possession. The Los Angeles District Attorney asked that Lobos' conviction be thrown out in February after determining the case was based on falsified evidence provided by former Officer Rafael Perez . In the criminal complaint, Ortiz and Liddy are charged with filing a false report.
Harper is charged with perjury.
All three are charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime. Scandal emerged after confession The police corruption scandal emerged after Perez confessed to participating in or witnessing criminal behavior in the department's Rampart Division. He made the confession in exchange for a plea agreement with government prosecutors following a cocaine theft conviction. More charges against other officers are expected to be filed within the next few weeks. More than two dozen officers have been fired, relieved of duty, or have quit as a result of the corruption scandal.