Los Angeles. Los Angeles detectives arrested a downtown businessman today after the man handed $2,000 cash to a police officer assigned to enforce counterfeit merchandise sales in the downtown Fashion District.
Senior Lead Officer Randy McCain has been enforcing counterfeit sales in the Fashion District since 1994. “He knows everyone, and everyone knows him,” said Lt. Paul Vernon, head of detectives in downtown. “But apparently at least one person did not know him well enough to know he’s an honest cop, working for a professional police department.”
Indeed, Officer McCain has known Demba Camera, 35, for over ten years. On June 24, Officer McCain was involved in the arrest of Camera’s wife, Karina Gonzalez, 24. It was her third arrest for selling counterfeit purses from the couple’s sublet business at 936 S. Maple Street.
“After hearing about his wife’s arrest, Camera called me,” McCain explained. “Not once but several times, then he sent a text message to my private cell phone. It was pretty obvious he was serious about helping his wife.” The text message said in part, “I PAY U.”
Detectives set up a recorded phone call with Camera and McCain last Thursday, the day after the wife’s arrest. “I was really hoping that he would have reconsidered his impulse, but the conversation told me he was serious. I was really surprised.”
The meet was set up for today, near the convention center, just after noon. McCain arrived in uniform, driving a black-and-white police car. Camera handed McCain the cash in full view of watching undercover officers. “He had the nerve to put the bribe in one of his counterfeit bags, too,” Officer McCain explained. “At least the purse did not have a designer label on it yet.”
Officer McCain has been a police officer for over 25 years, and this was the first time anyone has ever offered him a bribe. “They even teach us in the academy that some day we might be offered a bribe,” McCain explained. “We know sometimes that it can be a matter of a person coming from another locale where bribes are expected, but that was not the case here.” While Camera is originally from Senegal, he has been doing business downtown for over a decade.
“We gave Camera several opportunities to think over his offer and withdraw it” McCain added. “My badge and my integrity are not for sale.”
Camera was booked at the Metropolitan Jail for the felony, Bribing a Police Official, and his bail was set at $25,000.
Lieutenant Vernon and Officer McCain can be reached for interviews at 213-972-1203.
I cannot believe that anyone would be so stupid as to attempt to bribe any LAPD cop, let alone SLO Randy McCain. It is just like McCain to privately hope that the knucklehead would not follow-up his offer with an actual bribe. Now, McCain will probably get a commendation for merely doing his job and an honorable mention in an episode of America’s Dumbest Criminals (good work, Randy).
A few of the many things that I admired about the Department, before I joined in 1974, are that its officers took exceptional pride in their personal integrity, work ethic, innovation and independence of action without fear of political repercussion. The first three qualities are still true, although I’m not too sure about the latter.
Posted by: Lew Parker, Retired | July 02, 2009 at 11:27 PM
Well done SLO McCain.
Posted by: Nick Millr | July 04, 2009 at 06:20 AM
Officer SLO McCain they justice courts should award you the money for being a good honest officer after the hearings. Just my thoughts...
Posted by: george | July 06, 2009 at 11:52 PM