Sting Operations

Orange County authorities have been secretly manufacturing rock cocaine for Santa Ana police to sell in undercover operations targeting small-time drug buyers in several neighborhoods, including the area near Willard Intermediate school. The practice is considered extremely risky by many law enforcement officials, including police in Los Angeles and San Diego. But Santa Ana police have sought special court orders in the last 18 months to make hundreds of sales, Police Chief Paul M.

A recent court decision may force the Police Department to abandon or change its use of sting operations in which officers disguised as civilians file complaints to see whether the complaint-takers respond properly. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge reversed a sergeant's five-day suspension for failing to initiate a complaint "face sheet" after the sergeant contended that he knew that the complaint was part of a sting and therefore was not real.

Two women and 10 men were cited during a sheriff's sting operation aimed at curbing prostitution at a Bellflower motel, deputies said Wednesday. Female deputies posed as prostitutes at the motel in the 17900 block of Lakewood Boulevard on Tuesday, said Deputy Benita Nichol, a Sheriff's Department spokeswoman. "These sting operations are often done in response to community complaints," Nichol said.

A reputed kingpin of one of Los Angeles' most notorious Crips factions was sentenced Monday to 23 years in prison for trying to rob an undercover sheriff's deputy of 33 pounds of cocaine. Eugene Henley, 26, known as "Big U," was arrested last December in a sting operation after he and a friend, Eddie J. Wagner, tried to rob an undercover officer who they apparently believed was a drug dealer, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Dan Feldstern.

After 4 1/2 years as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration chief here, Andy Fenrich figured that Operation King Cobra was bound to be a classic. Two Philippine businessmen wanted to sell 22 pounds of high-grade heroin. Unknown to them, the buyer was an undercover DEA agent backed by elite Philippine police. As hidden video cameras rolled and tape recorders whirred, the date and price was set for one of the biggest Philippine drug stings--called a "buy-and-bust" here--ever.

Inglewood police went into the cocaine business again, arresting 23 of their customers. Lt. Larry Carter said officers first raided a "rock" house in the 900 block of N. Eucalyptus Avenue, booking three occupants on suspicion of possessing cocaine for sale. Then, as they had done seven times previously, officers waited on patrons--and arrested them. Carter said 160 people have been taken into custody in the eight sting operations. "Without buyers, there can be no sellers," Carter said.

It's not easy being a Kentucky state legislator these days. There are too many jokes going around and they are depressing at best, insulting at worst. "People stop you on the street and say things like, 'Hey, I've got four hundred bucks--I can buy the Legislature for that, can't I?' " longtime state Sen. Hank Hancock complains. "It gets pretty hard to listen to." The taunts stem from an ongoing FBI investigation known as Operation BOPTROT.

Investigators arrested 27 people during a three-day fraud investigation that targeted the state Department of Motor Vehicles office in Van Nuys, officials said Thursday. The sting--prompted by complaints from the public, insurance companies, law enforcement and the courts--is designed to curb the use of fraudulent or counterfeit documents to obtain vehicle registration, California driver's licenses or identification cards, said Vito Scattaglia, commander of the DMV Division of Investigations.

U.S. and state law enforcement officials Saturday arrested six big-game guides and outfitters charged with illegally taking wildlife, including protected grizzly bears and wolves, in one of Alaska's largest sting operations ever. The arrests came amid national outrage over a plan by Alaska's game managers to use airborne hunters to shoot hundreds of wolves for the purpose of boosting caribou and moose populations in certain areas. The U.S.

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who had been under surveillance for about a month was arrested when he tried to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from an undercover officer on a downtown street, authorities said Thursday. William Barr, 25, a 4 1/2-year veteran of the department, was arrested about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday near Alameda and Macy streets, said Deputy Larry Mead, a Sheriff's Department spokesman.