San Jose Escorts: Former San Ramon cop pleads guilty in CNET scandal
Posted: 01/26/2012 12:31:59 PM PST
Updated: 01/26/2012 01:48:29 PM PST
Former San Ramon police officer Louis Lombardi was taken into federal custody Thursday after pleading guilty to nine felonies for his role in the corruption probe involving the Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team.
Sentencing was scheduled for April 18.
CNET, an elite vice squad funded by the Department of Justice and manned by officers from Contra Costa police agencies, was suspended in February when its commander, Norman Wielsch, and private investigator Christopher Butler were arrested on suspicion of selling stolen drug evidence.
The scandal expanded to include the arrests of Lombardi and Danville officer Stephen Tanabe and further allegations of officers operating a brothel, and setting up men for drunken driving arrests to be used as leverage in family law cases.