posted 09-28-2001 13:21               

Former Officer Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

By Teresa Rochester

Sept. 27 -- A former Santa Monica police officer has pleaded guilty to Workers Compensation fraud, money laundering and grand theft and will begin serving a year-long jail sentence for the crimes next week.

Gabriel Saurez, a decorated 12-year veteran of the SMPD, will report to Los Angeles County Jail to begin serving his sentence on Monday as part of a plea agreement reached last week in Los Angeles County Criminal Court. Saurez, who recently resigned from the force, also was sentenced to five years probation.

Saurez, his wife Cheryl Saurez and Officer Jason Comer pleaded not guilty in April to charges of conspiracy, Workers Compensation fraud and grand theft. Saurez also faced two additional fraud charges.

Like her husband, Cheryl Saurez agreed to plea guilty during last Friday's hearing. She was ordered to serve one day in jail and also was sentenced to five years probation.

Comer's charges were dropped in June, and he remains on paid leave pending the conclusion of an administrative investigation, according to Police Chief James T. Butts Jr.

As part of the agreement, the charges of conspiracy against the Suarezes were dismissed, as were the two additional counts of Workers Compensation filed against Gabriel Saurez, said DA spokesperson Sandi Gibbons.

The Saurezes paid a $100 fine and $112, 250.01 in restitution on Friday, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Ellen St. John.

Chief Butts said Saurez's plea was a testament to the "hard work, time and effort that the risk management and our criminal division officers have put into this case.

"The good thing is the City of Santa Monica has received full restitution for all wages that were paid in this fraudulent claim," Butts said. "The jail sentence that was imposed by the judge sent a strong message that this type of misconduct will not be tolerated by the City of Santa Monica,"

Gabriel Suarez allegedly worked as a gun tactics trainer while receiving Workers Compensation for a slip and fall accident in the SMPD's locker room in 1999. Cheryl Suarez allegedly received payments for work done by her husband through a company she never worked for. The dismissed charges against Comer were based on allegations that he received and disbursed money for Saurez.

The Saurez case stemmed from a long-term investigation of Workers Compensation fraud within the police department launched late last year by the department, the District Attorneys Office and the State Department of Insurance.

The investigation also has resulted in charges filed against Officer Richard Robert Brulato, who pleaded not guilty in June to two counts of Workers Compensation Fraud.

Butts said the investigation is "definitely ongoing.

"We have other cases we are actively looking at and investigating. Fortunately at this point those cases are few," said Butts adding that they would be vigorously pursued.


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posted 09-28-2001 15:23               

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posted 09-28-2001 18:04               

Or tries to spin it that technically he isn't in Ownership/Posession of it, merely demonstrating it's application.

This is goonna get good....

Where's the popcorn, I just gotta see this one....

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"Our own life is the instrument with which we experiment with truth."

posted 09-29-2001 04:40            

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He who advances is sure of heaven, he who retreats is sure of eternal damnation.

posted 09-29-2001 22:56               

Sounds to me like he made the mistake of putting too much faith in his lawyer. He says that he pleaded guilty to misdemeanors only. He doesn't seem to answer the question about grand theft in his post.

His attitude says to me that everything will be just fine and dandy when he gets out of the pokey. I don't know. Guilty or not, these things tend to follow you around a long time. I have always felt when engaged in law and order type occupations you had better not ever let there be even a small impression of any wrongdoing.

I don't know what to think.

Pat do you have any thoughts on this deal?
Have you had any interaction with Gabe?
Business or otherwise?

posted 09-30-2001 00:47               

People make mistakes, get over it people.

posted 09-30-2001 09:15               

Here is what those in Police work call a clue.

How many times have you seen a cop's wife also arrested with her husband for the same crime?

It doesn't happen often.

More telling though, is how many husbands would have not accepted an earlier plea in order to spare his wife a jail sentance (short as it may be)?

There are a number of ethical issues here, and the state had overwhelming evidence to support the allegations.
Apologist's may believe what they want to believe, and others with personal dealings will believe what they believe because of those personal dealings.

He got away dirt cheap, that's for sure.

posted 09-30-2001 16:07               

Yet, this is all in all a pretty small industry. Every professional usually knows and/or trusts a large number of others in the game. We network a LOT.
We have to interact in order to stay current; not only on training and tools, but also the "who is doing what to who" end of things. This is a defense mechanism as well as a way of staying abreast of new techniques.
For this reason, those that defecate where they eat are usually outed pretty quick, and their halflife is usually very short.
They are usually left with whatever core following of acolyte/apologists they may have conned into being "true believers", but these invariably drift away as other teachers rise to prominence and/or the acolytes wake up and smell the coffee.

Staying power requires talent AND integrity.

posted 10-01-2001 08:41               

Pat, I did not mean to put you on the spot. I just figured you could give us a fair opinion of the situation.

You did and I appreciate it. What you said made sense. It all just did not add up the way Gabe says it did.

posted 10-01-2001 09:57               

I do disagree with your thoughts on his proffesionalisim. There are some issues that i hold strong and dear, and i dislike strongly those without ethics.

His alleged swing to religion is common among those who suddenly face reality- convicted murderers whose appeals have been exhausted for example.

But i wonder how his wife will forgive him?
Then again, she was part and parcel of his scheme.

Again- he got away dirt cheap.

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posted 10-01-2001 11:36               

I knew this to be true before his conviction, because he stole from us and then lied about it on the forums.

He stole from the city of Santa Monica, and then lied about it (pleading not guilty).

He continues to lie on the forums, and those of you who were not directly victimized by him would ask us to "forgive and forget"?

The man does not deserve our forgiveness.

posted 10-01-2001 16:05               

Last summer when this hit, I signed onto this forum to read what was being said about Gabe. This situation effected me business wise, as we had a full class scheduled with him, which we had to cancel.

At about the same time, I was contacted by the lead investigator and I then became part of the investigation, since Gabe had taught for my company during the time in question. (BTW, there was no doubt that his back was screwed up at that time, but he held in there for the two days, which I was grateful for. In my opinion, (20 years as a cop myself), no way could he have worked a patrol shift).

The story I got from the investigator was essentially the same as Gabe now relates on GT.

By pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges, he saves his business, pays a heafty fine, (the back WC wages), and goes on with his life.

I see nothing wrong with what Gabe did. He ran a side business while working as a cop, many of the industry does just that. He got injured on the job, and couldn't work as a cop, but that should not prevent him from pursuing his side business if he could. Standing, (or sitting on a firing line) is not the same as wrestling to the ground a 300 pound gorilla.

Remember that he didn't hide any of his activities like a criminal would do, it was all done out in the open. The whole situation reeked of a inter-departmental squabble and political prosecution, of which I know a little. By giving up the felony charges, the department admits that it doesn't have enough evidence to convict for felony charges. He should never have been charged to begin with.

As far as Maddogs feelings towards Gabe goes, I recall several years ago meeting someone in the industry who was carrying some baggage with him, accused of theft, fraud etc. by others in the industry. I thought to myself, well, if he did all this why isn't he being pursued legally? The same question begs to be answered in this situation too. BTW, that person whom I be-friended several years continues to be a good friend of mine, well-thought of in the industry, and has never done anything remotely against me or anyone else that I know of. If I would have believed what I heard about him to begin with, I would have been lesser for the situation.

Will Gabe be shunned in the industry? I am sure by some people. So be it. I expect him to explain the situation many times over the next few years, and eventually people will forget about it. As far as our part of the world, The Firearms Academy of Seattle has scheduled him for another training engagement next year, and look forward to many more classes to come.

Marty Hayes, Director
The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc.

posted 10-01-2001 16:05            

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He who advances is sure of heaven, he who retreats is sure of eternal damnation.

posted 10-01-2001 19:28               

Gabe is located in California. That makes suing him very expensive. More expensive than is worth our down time.

I would be happy to forward copies of my documentation to you which proves that Gabe was receiving stolen property across state lines.
I have his bank check numbers that correspond to the checks he wrote to HIS partner for the amount "invoiced" plus his partners cut of the profits.
I can also produce copies of faxes for orders sent by Gabe AND invoices/shipping info for same orders.
I can show you a letter that he sent to me AFTER receiving GunGlove orders inwhich he states that he "does not like our products" and would not pay for the GunGlove product that was shipped to him. He did not return the product either. That makes it theft, plain and simple.
After all was said and done, he STOLE over a thousand dollars (wholesale) of GunGlove product. Of course we were angry, wouldn't you be?

There was no "mistake", no regret, and no compensation of any kind. He profited by his theft, and judging from the tone of his letter, he enjoyed every minute of it.

posted 10-01-2001 21:03               

When I said "professional voice" I meant something else. Sorry.

What I meant was his reputation or his ability to speak with authority and experience about a subject. In this case, weapons training.

In other words, in my opinion, you seem to have a good professional voice. People listen when you talk, they read when you write. And from what I hear and read, they perform when you teach them.

I frankly did have my own personal questions about Gabe long ago. But where I live we just don't have much in the way of tactical communities. Not many folks who participate in such things. So I never was really sure about him.

posted 10-01-2001 21:16               

Come on man!! Let's say you were paying me to work for you and I got too hurt to work for you,and was out working for someone else. I was supposed to be at home, recovering because I was too hurt to work. And to top it off, the workman's comp insurance you pay for, is paying me the whole time.

That's just dishonest.

Marty, Clint Smith once said:"Nobody ever cares 'til it's their ox that's getting gored." I am sure you don't mind what Gabe did. Hell, it didn't hurt YOU did it??!

posted 10-01-2001 21:29               

now realistically is teaching a defensive pistol class that physical.... ?

posted 10-01-2001 22:23               

In the general scheme of things, Suarez, his wife, his new found religion, his self pity and others of similar unethical bent are of little consequence.
My Brother is in FDNY rescue. He lost 11 men from his Company alone. My partner's Brother lost 11 more from his Company. I know a large number of firefighters and cops who died on 911. They covered a wide spectrum of NYC, and they will all be missed.
They died doing their job. Suarez only soils the memory of real men who did real things.

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S/F