A former Inglewood Police Department officer has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for stealing cocaine from the department’s drug lockup and reselling it.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, 48-year-old John Abel Baca distributed cocaine on at least two occasions beginning in 2021.
A buyer informed the FBI that Baca, who was still an active-duty IPD officer at the time, offered to sell them a kilogram of cocaine, two kilograms of “China White” heroin and “an unlimited supply” of black tar heroin in Feb. 2021.
“The buyer reported that Baca claimed to have stolen drugs and cash during routine traffic stops that he made as a drug task force officer with IPD,” the DOJ said in a press release issued Tuesday.
In late April of the same year, Baca provided a sample of cocaine to the buyer for them to sell to street customers; the meeting was secretly recorded and revealed that Baca offered the buyer $10,000 for a kilogram of “China White.”
Baca provided a sample of the cocaine to the purported buyers during the secretly recorded meeting, and several days later on May 4, he delivered a brick of cocaine to the buyer’s workplace.
He made $22,000 in cash from that deal, federal justice department officials said.
The Whittier native, who was a 21-year veteran of the Inglewood Police Department when he was arrested, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine in Oct. 2023; according to United States District Judge James V. Selna, it was found that Baca’s sales began in 2020 and extended over “a lengthy period.”
Officials emphasized the importance of holding everyone accountable for their actions, police officers included, and thanked Inglewood authorities for their cooperation in the investigation.
“This defendant, a veteran of the Inglewood Police Department, abused his position as a law enforcement officer to promote his drug trafficking activities,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said. “I think IPD for its cooperation in bringing someone who broke his oath to protect the public to justice.”
“Former officer Baca tarnished the badge and dishonored the majority of those who serve and protect our communities with integrity,” added Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “This case serves as a reminder that no one is above the law, and corruption and criminal behavior will not be tolerated.”