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Former Bell Police Officer Sentenced to 9 Years for Sex Assault
Feliciano Sanchez, a 35-year-old former officer with the Bell, Calif., Police Department, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a female motorist and violating her civil rights. Sanchez, of Pico Rivera, Calif., pleaded guilty last year to violating the female victim’s civil rights when he forced her to perform oral sex after stopping her for a traffic violation.
According to evidence presented in court and in documents filed by prosecutors, Sanchez forced the victim to commit the sex act while armed and in his full police uniform. After the incident, Sanchez twice went to the victim’s workplace to tell her that he would be watching her, which caused her to quit her job.
“These actions not only brutalized the victim, but undermined the public’s trust in its law enforcement officers,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice will aggressively prosecute law enforcement officers who violate the rights of the people they have sworn to protect and disregard the laws they have pledged to uphold.”
U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. called Sanchez’s actions a “particularly offensive, dehumanizing and harmful” breach of his oath to serve and protect the community. Birotte added that Sanchez’s egregious assault caused “incalculable pain and suffering to the victim, and damaged the honor of the thousands of men and women in law enforcement who serve us every day.”
The case was investigated by agents from the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Tammy Spertus of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and Trial Attorney Karen Ruckert Lopez and former Trial Attorney Christine Dunn of the Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
The victim in the case has not publicly spoken about the assault, but her story serves as a stark reminder of the crucial role that law enforcement plays in maintaining public trust and safety. Sanchez’s actions have sparked outrage and calls for reform within the Bell Police Department and the broader law enforcement community.
The sentencing of Sanchez marks a significant step towards justice for the victim and a warning to law enforcement officers who would abuse their power and violate the public’s trust.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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