By Frank Gayaldo
April 25, 2017
TOP SIX REASONS Tori Verber-Salazar should recuse herself from Sheriff Steve Moore’s GunGate investigation and appoint a SPECIAL PROSECUTOR:
1. Adamson Police Supply, Hayward, California. The Sheriff’s Office (including the Sheriff personally) was accused of receiving “substantial discounts” by stripping, selling and then buying guns. This is in clear violation of the sheriff’s own written policy, 12028(C) PC, 514 PC and 1090 GC. After six years of a bizarre on and off again investigation, Ms. Verber concluded this activity occurred, but that somehow there was no violation of criminal law. A major conflict exists because the lead DA investigator’s name, Dave Derksen, appears on a 2014 Adamson Police Supply invoice ALSO receiving a “substantial discount”.
2. Former DA Chief Investigator Kenneth Melgoza. Melgoza is a highly respected investigator both inside and outside the DA’s office. According to Ms. Verber’s March 28, 2017 letter, Melgoza unexplainably recused himself at least twice from this investigation. On 8/18/16 Melgoza files a claim with the county stating that Ms. Verber retaliated against him for his refusal to “engage in unlawful and unethical conduct.” I personally posted on Facebook Melgoza’s claim on 3/27/17. Within 24 hours of me posting Melgoza’s claim, Ms. Verber exonerates Moore in “GunGate”, and blames Melgoza for the case taking six years to conclude.
3. Brook’s Arms and Ammo. Deputy District Attorney Grant Leonard Carey Brooks wears two hats: with one he sometimes prosecutes criminal cases where firearms are involved. With his other hat, he allegedly sometimes handles the disposition of those very same evidence firearms, utilizing his Federal Firearms License and company, Brooks Arms and Ammo. Conflict of interest?
4. According to 18005 PC, the district attorney may sometime have DIRECT legal influence over what evidence firearms are retained or sold by the sheriff.
5. According to Ms. Verber’s 3/28/17 letter which was written by Assistant District Ronald Freitas, neither the FBI or the US Attorney has commented on the case one way or the other. It was highly inappropriate to conclude this investigation without their input. The FBI should be investigating both the Sheriff AND the District Attorney for public corruption in regards to the mishandling of evidence firearms.
6. After six years, the public still does not know how much of a “substantial discount” Sheriff Moore and other sheriff employees received on government property. This is property that according to 1090 GC, they should have never been able to purchase at ANY price. Moore refuses to answer even basic questions about the case because Ms. Verber still has yet to provide the public her “final report”.
