Gabrielino’s Screamin’ Eagles Speech Team Advances to Nationals, See P.17 pasadenaindependent.com
Thursday, May 21, 2015 - May 27, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Celebrate Health and Wellness at Free Family Fun Day May 23 P.14
local news
“Remembering Our Veterans” Events in the SGV P.13
Former No. 2 of LASD Charged With Obstructing Federal Investigation Into Misconduct at County Jails
Paul Tanaka, who was the second in command of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and William Thomas Carey, who oversaw internal criminal investigations at the LASD, have been indicted on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly directing efforts to quash a federal investigation into corruption and civil rights violations by sheriff’s deputies at two downtown jail complexes. A federal grand jury May 13 returned a five-count indictment against Tanaka and Carey, who allegedly participated in a broad conspiracy to obstruct the investigation, a scheme that started when the Sheriff’s Department learned that an inmate at the Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) was an FBI informant. Tanaka and Carey alleg-
edly directed, oversaw, and participated in a conspiracy that last year resulted in the conviction of seven other former LASD deputies. The obstruction of justice case was announced at a news conference by Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Yonekura and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich. Tanaka and Carey, both 56, are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, and each is named in one count of obstruction of justice. Carey is charged with two counts of making false declarations for perjuring himself last year during the trials of co-conspirators. SEE PG. 18
Paul Tanaka, left was Baca’s Undersheriff and William Thomas Carey oversaw internal criminal investigations.Both men and others have been implicated in one of the worst jail civil rights violations in LASD history. – Photos Courtesy LASD
local news
Embezzlement Allegations Prompt Azusa Officials to Oversee Little League Fundraiser P.12
Volume 19, No. 21
Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996
Lee Baca left his post in January 2014 amidst the federal investigation and the findings of a special commission on jail violence that cited a “failure of leadership” over the jails. While Baca has not been charged with any crime, he did personally “hand pick” Paul Tanaka for the number two position--which leads critics of Baca to believe there is more to this story. – Photo by Terry Miller
Seriously Rethinking Water Use in Pasadena and Elsewhere by nick kipley
business
Business Profile: knot too shabby P.19
According to comprehensive data compiled by the North American Drought Atlas and made available by The Guardian, experts who are skilled in reading tree rings have deciphered—from thousands of samples taken all over North America—that the current water shortage California is facing is the worst in over 1,200 years. We know this because California has the rare privilege of being the only place on the planet where you can drive back and forth between two unique forests of ancient trees in roughly the time it takes to watch a James Cameron movie about the world coming to an end. One forest—the Sequoias—bear several specimen which are older than the estimated age of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. The second forest—the Bristlecone Pines—is a place home to trees that were at the very least saplings when the Sumerians were just getting started, grew to height about the time King Solomon was laying SEE PG. 14
Aerial view of The Enterprise Bridge (Lumpkin Road) on the South Fork at Lake Oroville, California during drought. Low water levels are evident in every lake in California. -Photo Courtesy California Water Resources