Kern Co. Public Defender investigator under investigation
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A local investigator is now himself the target of an investigation.
Eyewitness News has uncovered the start of a probe into whether the investigator in the Kern County Public Defender's office looked up data when he wasn't supposed to, and then tried to get paid for the information.
The investigation started when an attorney in the public defender's office did an audit of investigator David Brown's work computer, according to search warrant reports obtained by Eyewitness News.
The attorney believed he spotted invoices from Brown to bail bond companies, and then worried about possible misuse of the criminal database, the Criminal Justice Information Service.
"Included in the file were also invoices to Liberty Bail Bonds and Aladdin Bail Bonds for services rendered," the report reads. "The subjects named in Brown's invoices were clients of the Public Defender's Office."
On Thursday, Kern County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ray Pruitt said their detective was done with the probe, and a spokesman in the Kern County District Attorney's office said the case is now under review.
In the documents, investigators say the concerned attorney noted, "Brown was not designated as the investigator to assist with the cases and deemed (Brown's) access to CJIS unauthorized and violated the terms of CJIS usage."
The report shows the sheriff's detective checked into whether Brown looked up information in CJIS on six people. It turned out two were not public defender clients, but four were.
The detective asked as many as eight of the office attorneys involved in those cases if they had asked Brown to get information about these individuals. All the lawyers said they did not, according to the report.
Eyewitness News went to the address identified as Brown's home to ask about the case. No one answered the door Thursday afternoon.
In the report, three cases are listed with specific information about the probe.
The investigator says an audit was done of Brown's CJIS activity from March 2008 through September this year.
The detective writes that on Jan. 4, the audit shows Brown allegedly checked on one individual, and then an invoice was found on Brown's work computer dated Jan. 10 billing Liberty Bail Bonds $1,000 for "fugitive recovery."
Eyewitness News went to the Liberty Bail Bonds office in Bakersfield, a worker said she didn't have any information about this, and the manager was not in on Thursday.
The report on Brown's computer CJIS audit lists two similar alleged instances. It shows he checked into a specific person on March 2, 2011, and then an invoice shows up the same day billing Aladdin Bail Bonds $1,000 for "fugitive recovery."
Eyewitness News went to the Aladdin Bail Bonds office on Chester Avenue. A manager said he wouldn't know anything about investigations. That unit – or what he called the "bounty hunter unit" – is based in Fresno.
Eyewitness News called the office in Fresno, but was told to contact the corporate office in Carlsbad.
The third incident is listed as May 4, when Brown allegedly did a query to CJIS. The report says the detective then found an invoice on August 15, billing Liberty Bail Bonds $112.50 for "investigative hours and travel time."
The report says sheriff deputies went to Brown's home on Nov. 4. They said he responded he had heard an investigation was underway.
Brown told the sheriff officers he has retained an attorney, and any questions should be directed to that lawyer.
Eyewitness News called the Public Defender's Office chief, Konrad Moore said they had no comment, calling this a "personnel matter."
No charges have been filed in this case at this time. And no arrests have been made.
Eyewitness News has uncovered the start of a probe into whether the investigator in the Kern County Public Defender's office looked up data when he wasn't supposed to, and then tried to get paid for the information.
The investigation started when an attorney in the public defender's office did an audit of investigator David Brown's work computer, according to search warrant reports obtained by Eyewitness News.
The attorney believed he spotted invoices from Brown to bail bond companies, and then worried about possible misuse of the criminal database, the Criminal Justice Information Service.
"Included in the file were also invoices to Liberty Bail Bonds and Aladdin Bail Bonds for services rendered," the report reads. "The subjects named in Brown's invoices were clients of the Public Defender's Office."
On Thursday, Kern County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ray Pruitt said their detective was done with the probe, and a spokesman in the Kern County District Attorney's office said the case is now under review.
In the documents, investigators say the concerned attorney noted, "Brown was not designated as the investigator to assist with the cases and deemed (Brown's) access to CJIS unauthorized and violated the terms of CJIS usage."
The report shows the sheriff's detective checked into whether Brown looked up information in CJIS on six people. It turned out two were not public defender clients, but four were.
The detective asked as many as eight of the office attorneys involved in those cases if they had asked Brown to get information about these individuals. All the lawyers said they did not, according to the report.
Eyewitness News went to the address identified as Brown's home to ask about the case. No one answered the door Thursday afternoon.
In the report, three cases are listed with specific information about the probe.
The investigator says an audit was done of Brown's CJIS activity from March 2008 through September this year.
The detective writes that on Jan. 4, the audit shows Brown allegedly checked on one individual, and then an invoice was found on Brown's work computer dated Jan. 10 billing Liberty Bail Bonds $1,000 for "fugitive recovery."
Eyewitness News went to the Liberty Bail Bonds office in Bakersfield, a worker said she didn't have any information about this, and the manager was not in on Thursday.
The report on Brown's computer CJIS audit lists two similar alleged instances. It shows he checked into a specific person on March 2, 2011, and then an invoice shows up the same day billing Aladdin Bail Bonds $1,000 for "fugitive recovery."
Eyewitness News went to the Aladdin Bail Bonds office on Chester Avenue. A manager said he wouldn't know anything about investigations. That unit – or what he called the "bounty hunter unit" – is based in Fresno.
Eyewitness News called the office in Fresno, but was told to contact the corporate office in Carlsbad.
The third incident is listed as May 4, when Brown allegedly did a query to CJIS. The report says the detective then found an invoice on August 15, billing Liberty Bail Bonds $112.50 for "investigative hours and travel time."
The report says sheriff deputies went to Brown's home on Nov. 4. They said he responded he had heard an investigation was underway.
Brown told the sheriff officers he has retained an attorney, and any questions should be directed to that lawyer.
Eyewitness News called the Public Defender's Office chief, Konrad Moore said they had no comment, calling this a "personnel matter."
No charges have been filed in this case at this time. And no arrests have been made.
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