| For Immediate Release Case # TBA February 7, 2013 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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SHERIFF’S DEPUTY CHARGED WITH ACCEPTING BRIBES FROM MURDERER INMATE WHO WAS ENGAGING IN PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR, INCLUDING SEX AND SMUGGLING DRUGS, DURING JAIL VISITS WITH WIFE
SANTA ANA – An Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) deputy was arrested and charged today with accepting bribes, including hockey tickets and gift certificates, from a murderer inmate who was engaging in prohibited behavior including having sex with his wife and smuggling contraband into the Orange County jail. David Lloyd Cass, 38, Glendora, is charged with two felony counts of bribery and faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in state prison if convicted. Cass was arrested today, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at OCSD by OCSD investigators. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) is requesting Cass be held on $1 million bail. He is expected to be arraigned tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Background
At the time of the crime, Cass is accused of being a 4-year veteran deputy of OCSD assigned to the Orange County Mens’ Jail. The defendant is accused of working directly in or near the Attorney/Bond (A/B) room of the jail, where inmates meet with their attorneys or attorney’s representative to discuss their pending criminal cases.
Jail inmate Stephenson Choi Kim was in custody on two separate cases for murder (Case #04WF0953), for which Kim had a defense attorney, and assault with a deadly weapon (Case #05CF1065), for which Kim was representing himself. In August 2010, Kim secretly married Ha Nguyen while still in jail and had the marriage certificate filed as confidential to prevent the court from learning of the marriage. In December 2010, at the request of Kim, the court signed an order allowing Nguyen to act as a “Legal Assistant Runner” in Kim’s two cases. The order was granted under the representation that Kim and Nguyen had a professional relationship and without the disclosure of their marriage.
Related Criminal Cases
Nguyen, 32, (Case # 12CF0570) is being prosecuted in this case.
Kim was sentenced April 27, 2012, to life in state prison without the possibility of parole plus an additional 255 years to life after being convicted in March 2011 of one felony count of murder, six felony counts of attempted murder, one felony count of street terrorism, and multiple sentencing enhancements. The pending assault case was subsequently dismissed. He will not be charged with the current offenses at this time. To read more about this case, visit www.orangecountyda.com and select under Press Releases/Media Advisories the April 30, 2012, releases titled, “Gang Member Sentenced to Life Without Parole Plus Additional 255 Years to Life for Murdering Woman and Attempting to Murder Six Others in Unprovoked Café Shooting.”