PITTSBURG — Within the first submitting from a federal and state felony investigation right into a dozen Bay Space legislation enforcement officers, the Contra Costa District Legal professional on Thursday charged an ex-Pittsburg officer with illegally possessing and promoting two assault rifles.
Armando Montalvo, 28, was charged with 4 felonies for allegedly possessing two AR-15 rifles and promoting them to 2 people. The charging paperwork declare the transactions occurred in November 2019, however authorities say the crimes weren’t found till this 12 months when Antioch and Pittsburg officers got here beneath investigation for alleged civil rights violations involving makes use of of power.
Montalvo was sworn in as a Pittsburg officer in 2015. He resigned from the division on July 8, in keeping with the Contra Costa DA’s workplace, after being positioned on administrative go away in reference to the investigation. In 2021, his final full 12 months as an officer, he obtained $146,434 in wage and advantages, in keeping with public information.
Authorities have secured an arrest warrant for Montalvo, who is predicted to show himself in. His lawyer couldn't instantly be reached for remark. A Contra Costa choose set Montalvo’s bail at $200,000.
The costs are solely the newest accusations towards Contra Costa legislation enforcement officers involving unlawful firearm exercise. In August, then sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Buckley was fired and arrested for allegedly falsifying reviews to steal AR-15s from a court docket proof locker. He has not but been charged. Final Might, a sheriff’s volunteer was charged with possessing assault weapons and unlawful manufacturing of a firearm after it was found he’d taken 1000's of gun elements and ammunition from the police gun vary the place he volunteered with out objection of sheriff staff.
In the meantime, the FBI, Contra Costa District Legal professional and U.S. Legal professional’s workplace proceed to analyze alleged civil rights violations and felony conspiracies stated to contain 11 present officers and one former policeman. The previous policeman, Tim Manly, labored for each Antioch and Pittsburg departments, a number of legislation enforcement sources stated.
The allegations towards Antioch officers embrace potential conspiracies to assault folks by means of use of power, together with canine bites, sources have stated. Two K9 officers, Morteza Amiri and Nicholas Shipilov, are amongst these positioned on go away. A number of legislation enforcement sources say Amiri is a high-profile topic within the investigation. A grand jury has been convened and is predicted to resolve whether or not to indict the officers in coming weeks.
Already, federal and native prosecutors have dismissed dozens of felony circumstances, together with felons in possession of firearms, that relied on the testimony of Amiri and different officers. Of the 11 officers beneath investigation, eight are from Antioch and three from Pittsburg.
Inside the Antioch police division’s ranks, there may be nonetheless hope or maybe denial that the majority — if not all — of the eight officers beneath investigation will probably be vindicated and returned to work. Some privately say the probe reeks of politicization; others say they’re specializing in doing their job and distancing themselves from their eight colleagues who're on indefinite go away. There's rigidity, unease and a worry that the investigation could develop to incorporate others, in keeping with sources who spoke to this newspaper however weren't licensed to publicly remark.
Antioch police interim Chief Steven Ford introduced various reform measures in September, together with a evaluation of K9 use and a reformatting of the division’s cellphone insurance policies to make sure they’re used just for employment functions. A number of the proof collected towards the officers consists of textual content message conversations surrounding use of power incidents, authorities say.
In a press release saying the costs, the Contra Costa DA’s workplace stated it “won't be commenting on this case because it’s a part of an ongoing felony investigation.”
Pittsburg police issued a short public assertion saying the division “has and can proceed to cooperate with all outdoors businesses” however that it might’t remark additional out of respect for the DA’s investigation.