Nine Current and Former Police Officers from Antioch and Pittsburg, California Indicted on Federal Charges of Civil Rights Violations and Fraud

Nine current or former police officers from Antioch and Pittsburg, California, have been indicted on federal charges related to civil rights violations and fraud.

The indictments were filed by U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey in the Northern District of California. The nine officers are accused of conspiring to “injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate” residents in Antioch, a city of roughly 114,000 people located 45 miles northeast of San Francisco.

The officers are also accused of wire fraud, deprivation of rights under color of law, conspiracy against rights, and conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids. In addition, three of the officers are accused of exchanging racist and derogatory text messages.

The indictments allege that the officers sought to get a pay raise by committing fraud and that they lied on reports to cover up the use of excessive force. The documents also allege that the officers collected “trophies” to “tout” their use of excessive force.

The nine officers indicted are Eric Rombough, Devon Wenger, Mortez Amiri, and six others who have not been identified. The investigation is ongoing and more charges may be filed.

The Antioch Police Department has released a statement saying that they are “committed to upholding the highest standards of professional conduct” and that they are “fully cooperating with the investigation.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is urging anyone with information about the case to contact the FBI.