LAPD detective is charged with embezzling $30,000 intended to protect 3 witnesses to South L.A. crimes

A veteran Los Angeles Police Department detective has been charged with embezzling more than $30,000 in city funds that were supposed to be used to protect and relocate three witnesses to crimes in South Los Angeles, authorities said Friday.

Det. Leonard Avalos, 44, is expected to be arraigned next week on one felony count of embezzlement by an officer and six felony counts of grand theft.

Avalos was taken into custody without incident Thursday by LAPD detectives while he was off duty in Placentia, said Det. Gus Villanueva.

LAPD investigators discovered the alleged theft in fall 2008 when they questioned some of the detective’s accounting of the witness protection funds he had requested from the department, officials said.

At the time, Avalos was investigating assaults, including shootings, police said. In such cases, victims often fear for their safety and are willing to testify only if they are given money to move away from the location of the crime. 

Avalos, a 17-year department veteran, could not produce receipts to verify that he had given the money to the witnesses, prosecutors said.

Authorities said police questioned the three witnesses and learned that one had received $100 and another $500 while the third had not received any city funds at all.

--Richard Winton

Comments

[bigdad59]

What a guy!

[Tirau]

And they wonder why we don't trust the police...

[TAM]

Avalos, one of your gods has stolen $ 30,000 of the tax payers money. When you make a person into a god you have things like this happen. He messed up his career for only $ 30,000.

[Patrick]

So, the theft was discovered in 2008, the officer was placed on "home leave" a year ago, yet he was only arrested yesterday "while he was off duty"? Has he been on the payroll this entire time?

[jacob]

the police have committed many more heinous acts but the public is so blind to their bad behavior.... this kind of BS is only the tip of the iceberg..

[Buster Brown]

Almost two years from discovery of the crime to arrest. Yes, self-monitoring and self-investigation IS the best way to go. Because only another cop knows what it's REALLY like out there.

Um, hey, where's the press conference, and the 2' x 3' booking photo on poster board and an easel? Say, when he was on paid leave for a year, was he "working" the 3/12 or 4/10 work day schedule? And please DO let us know what his pension is once the plea bargain is finished. Health care, too? Does the League start paying his wages now, or have they been doing that already, or will that be only AFTER his charges are reduced to a misdemeanor? And were the defendants in any of his cases informed over the last 2 years - ya know, for that "Who are you gonna believe, a cop, or that scumbag...?" arguments.

And when are we going to hear about his worker's comp. stress claim, or was it a back injury? (Who can keep track?)

Now I'll have to hop over to the League's site and read their passionate, angry press release. Can't wait to see what they have to say about it. Surely they wouldn't ignore it! Maybe they'll insist he get the "Silvio Filipovich" treatment? By that standard, he has a loooooong way to go before he's actually in trouble

No wonder LAPD hates Richard Winton - reporting this kind of stuff when there's REAL news to cover. But I'm sure he's just taking orders from the ACLU, huh?

[joe]

Patrick, where does it say he was on "Home Leave" and on the payroll the entire time? What's the difference whether he was arrested on or off-duty?

[DR]

No Jacob, people are aware just that many media and law enforcement see this as colladeral damage to prevent the spread of crime which is true too to arrive at their door. "Ok in your world by not in mine."

[Peter323]

I'd rather have LAPD personnel stealing money than their usual offenses against the community--beating or shooting people unnecessarily or causing death or injury through idiotic car chases.

[KBLosAngeles]

Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Having known this individual to be a liar in the past, why no be a thief as well? I am surprised he wasn't caught for making up false and misleading charges, and/or coercing others within the organization to go along with his made up charges. The department knew he was doing this, it was pointed out clearly to them, and they chose to ignore it!

Anyway, I guess this is what one would call poetic justice. Maybe Chief Charlie Beck, who's association with other individuals who played fast and loose with the truth, can get up and tell the lemmings in Los Angeles just how well he is running his department!