A sheriff's captain was among four people indicted by a grand jury on felony bribery and conspiracy charges as part of an election campaign scandal tied to Santa Clara County Sheriff. Im the candidate that brings the fresh perspective and greatest opportunity for change.. However, if you are in the words of sheriff's Captain James Jenson a VIP, then he will meet you at Starbucks, personally review your application and help you fill it out. Nichols, CEO of The Gun Co. based in Milpitas, reportedly knew Nielsen as a buddy, and eventually worked with Nahal and Schumb to get the alleged quid pro quo in motion. When asked if Jensen was acting on his own or working with Sheriff Smith, Rosen said that because the investigation was ongoing, it was not appropriate for him to comment on the possible roles of other individuals. hoped you would put name in hat .Thanks for running !! August 10, 2016 at 12:02 p.m. Comments are moderated and approved by administrators. SAN JOSE The former CEO of an executive security firm charged in an alleged scheme to trade political donations for concealed-gun permits from the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office abruptly pleaded guilty in the case Monday, in what prosecutors called a significant development for a corruption probe that could threaten Sheriff Laurie Smiths two-decade tenure. Your email address will not be published. Command Staff - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara Rosen said there were two paths when it came to the issuing of concealed gun permits by the sheriff's office: One for average citizens and one for campaign donors and VIPs. Whats next for the former Frys HQ in San Jose? County Sheriff's Captain, Prominent Lawyer Charged with Gun Permit Bribery Scheme. "It's been something of an open secret within the firearms community," Long said. He became captain in 2004 and retired in 2013. Local News | San Jos Spotlight is a project of the San Jos News Bureau, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128. My unique experience speaks for myself. Instead, the application would be filed away and forgotten. "CCW licenses should not be given in exchange for campaign donations. Per a plea agreement, his charges will be downgraded to misdemeanors and a maximum 18-month jail sentence in exchange for his cooperation with the district attorney. In a surprise turn, West used the defendants Monday arraignment to plead guilty. Get San Jos Spotlight headlines delivered to your inbox. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7. "If you made a campaign donation and if Captain Jensen knew you to be a VIP, then you got special treatment and you got a CCW license," Rosen said. She previously worked as a reporter for PhillyVoice in Philadelphia and freelanced for The Seattle Times and The Whiskey Wash. She grew up in Sacramento, California, and graduated with a BA degree from the University of Oregon where she majored in journalism and minored in political science. Your email address will not be published. From there, he was promoted to lieutenant and came back to Saratoga as the assistant commander of the West Valley Patrol Division. Santa Clara County - Sheriff's Correctional Captain Salaries - California Shes concerned about declining morale in the office,notingstaffing levels are lowwhich means many employees work mandatory overtime, separating them from their families. Contact Eli Wolfe at[emailprotected]or@EliWolfe4on Twitter. Jensen is competing with three other candidates: sheriff Sgt. Known for. As a detective he was assigned to the West Valley division, he was also one of our tactical flight observers up in our sheriffs helicopter, a field training officer and recruit training officer at the academy.. Santa Clara County Sheriff Race - NBC Bay Area He was promoted to captain and was assigned to Stanford University before requesting to come back to Saratoga and serve as the division commander. we have been without one, https://www.kevinjensen4sheriff.com/endorsements. Schumb is a prominent political backer of the Sheriff and served as Assistant Treasurer for the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance, an independent expenditure committee that supported Smith's election bid. California law requires candidates for county sheriff to have experience as certified law enforcement officers. Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. Sheriff Bob Jonsen has been in law enforcement since 1986. A retired Santa Clara County sheriffs captain who ran for office in 2014 and lost, Kevin Jensen believes he has the momentum to take the seat. A veteran staff trainer, Allen wants to change how officers apply use of force, saying there need to be more alternatives for de-escalating situations and preventing harm to inmates. He touts his experience working as a correctional officer at Elmwood Correctional Facility, starting in the mid-1980s. "The DA's office is continuing to investigate more crimes and more individuals related to Sheriff Smith's issuance of CCW licenses. An inquiry from the Metro Silicon Valley weekly about executive security licensing and an extremely large campaign donation -- which was reported in public filings -- spurred the DA to start an investigation shortly after the general election in 2018. The complete transcript of the grand jury's findings will be released in the coming weeks. Ex-Jail Captain Sues Santa Clara Co. Sheriff's Office for Alleged I think its important to know the men and women who have this difficult job in difficult times are this much behind a candidate, Jensen told San Jos Spotlight. And were here to provide it. There is only ONE job in the United States that has the job description of defending the US Constitution and protecting We the People. To be fair, all candidates seem passionate about wanting to a good job as sheriff and the questions asked are valid questions for any managerial jobs. Its a small town community I like interacting with.. / CBS San Francisco. SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Former Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith has been found guilty on all six corruption and misconduct counts in her civil corruption trial. If elected, Jensen said he will focus on addressing staffing and morale decline in the sheriffs office, including the correctional facilities. This DAs office has successfully prosecuted elected officials, correctional officers, sheriffs deputies, police officers, attorneys, business owners and other prominent residents, Rosen said in a statement to this news organization Monday. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team. James Jensen, Christopher Schumb, Harpaul Nahal and Michael Nichols were indicted in the alleged pay-to-play plot, in which they are accused of brokering a deal for the executive security firm AS Solution to receive up to a dozen concealed-carry weapon permits in exchange for $90,000 in campaign donations to committees supporting Smiths 2018 re-election bid. Comment Policy (updated 11/1/2021): We reserve the right to delete comments or ban users who engage in personal attacks, hate speech, excess profanity or make verifiably false statements. Election 2022: The vote for a new South Bay sheriff Jonsen said the county should offer more skill-based programs in the jails for inmates so they can find employment upon release. We know Kevin Jensen as a person and we understand his leadership qualities, Ryan Elder, president of the association, told San Jos Spotlight. Local News | I haven't been provided any evidence at this point, but broadly speaking I believe that all of the folks involved were legally able to obtain the permits. He wants to dismantle the system of nepotism that he claims took root in the Sheriffs Office during Smiths tenure. An experienced set of fresh eyes is going to help pave the way toward putting an appropriate spotlight on transparency, and building trust within the community, Elder said. Last . In addition to conspiracy and bribery charges, Jensen is accused of falsifying public records. After submitting 7 CCW license applications to Jensen at a meeting, AS Solution manager Martin Nielsen donated the first half of that amount to the Santa Clara County. Saratoga installed an Automatic License Plate Reader system at several intersections last spring to track cars coming in and out of the city and deter crime. He said after Friday's news, Sheriff Smith needs to go. When it comes to enforcing the law, which is to say enforcing the Constitution for the United States of America, the Sheriff, being the Chief Law Enforcement Officer, answers to We the People The County Sheriff is a Constitutional Officer elected by the People and bound by oath as guardian of the Peoples unalienable rights secured by the Constitution. The next sheriff will havesignificant challenges, including the ongoing warehousing of mentally ill inmates in the jail system, increased political scrutiny of the Sheriffs Office and the constructionof a new jail. Like his opponents, Jensen said hes concerned about the lack of transparency in the office, which he blames on Smiths managerial style. Hiscampaign filings dont reflect a total amount raised to date, but Allen said hesraised $21,000. She is a San Jose State University alumna and enjoys hiking and camping in her spare time. "I'm feeling very hopeful and optimistic, cautiously. "It's very unusual for a captain to be walked off in that manner for a project that wasn't for personal gain, on jail property. Were changing the face of journalism by providing an innovative model for delivering reliable, truthful news to the nations 10th largest city. After Smith won that race, she promoted Le to captain. The exact terms of the deal were hammered out later that month, according to the indictment, when Nielsen and West met with Jensen, Nahal, and Nichols at a San Jose Jamba Juice and agreed upon an exchange of 10-to-12 CCW licenses for a $90,000 donation to Smith's campaign. There were 44 reported burglaries from January to October of 2021, while 59 burglaries were reported in the same time period in 2022. But now people are returning back to work, returning to normal life and going on vacations, so folks are starting to take advantage of that.. Santa Clara County Sherif (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 31: Attorney Harpaul Nahal, left, is photographed outside of the San Jose Hall of Justice on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Nahal was arraigned on conspiracy and bribery charges involving concealed weapon permits in Santa Clara County. The side of a Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office vehicle is pictured in this file photo. These cameras capture vehicle license plates and compare them with Sheriffs Office databases to alert authorities when a plate matches a listing.