"Prosecutors alleged during trial that the conspiracy was laid out in texts between Wenger and fellow officers Morteza Amiri and Eric Rombough, who discussed beating people, hitting them with less lethal launchers, and dog bites. In one exchange, Amiri then a K9 officer wrote, Let's (expletive) some people up next work week, and Wenger reposnded, Bro, (expletive) to the mother(expletive)ing yes, according to prosecutors."
"Rombough, accused of several instances of illegally shooting people with the launcher, pleaded guilty and became a government's witness, testifying against both Amiri and Wenger in their separate trials. Amiri was acquitted of conspiracy last March, but convicted of illegally siccing his dog on an Antioch man and falsifying details to cover it up. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White sentenced him to seven years last June."
Devon Wenger, a former Antioch police officer, was convicted of conspiracy to violate civil rights, a federal crime carrying up to ten years' imprisonment. He earlier was convicted of distributing steroids and altering records, offenses that carry roughly twice that potential sentence. Prosecutors presented text messages among Wenger and officers Morteza Amiri and Eric Rombough that discussed beating people, using less-lethal launchers, and dog bites, including explicit encouragement to commit violence. Rombough pleaded guilty, testified for the government, and Amiri was acquitted of conspiracy but later sentenced to seven years for siccing his dog and falsifying reports; Wenger's lawyer argued lack of proof and noted a shooting count had been dismissed as reasonable.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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