Former Yuba City police officer pleads guilty to bribery charge
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A former Yuba City police officer has pleaded guilty to one count of federal programs bribery in connection with a drug trafficking scheme investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Yuba City Police Department.
Harminder Phagura, 36, of Yuba City, appeared in federal court Friday to enter his guilty plea. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
According to court documents, while Phagura was employed as a Yuba City police officer he took sensitive information he gained from his official position and exchanged it for money. Co‑defendant Gursharan Phagura transmitted this sensitive law enforcement information to a government source, who was posing as a cocaine trafficker.
During the investigation, federal agents observed Gursharan Phagura meet with Harminder Phagura in a Yuba City police vehicle on July 29, 2014. At the same time, Gursharan Phagura and the government source were exchanging text messages regarding the state of police presence in the area. Agents then caused an alert to be transmitted on the Yuba City Police Department’s dispatch system. Within a few minutes, the government source received text messages indicating, in coded language, that law enforcement was in the area.
Over the course of several undercover operations, the government source paid a total of $6,000 for the information. The Yuba City Police Department receives grant funds from a federal program.
“It’s profoundly troubling when sworn personnel use their training and expertise to flout the law, rather than uphold it,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, the special agent in charge who oversees HSI’s enforcement activities throughout northern California. “As the charges in this case make clear, no one is above the law, least of all law enforcement. This plea is gratifying for the HSI special agents and other investigators who worked tirelessly to see justice served.”
Co-defendant Gursharan Phagura is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Harminder Phagura and Gursharan Phagura were arrested April 15, 2015. Harminder Phagura is currently free on a $100,000 bond. Gursharan Phagura is in custody.
In addition to HSI and the Yuba City Police Department, the FBI also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hemesath is prosecuting the case.
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