Additional LAPD Officers Charged With Falsifying Information

Three Los Angeles Police Department officers have been charged in separate cases for allegedly falsifying records that claimed people they had stopped were gang members, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Cases were filed for warrant yesterday against Rene Braga (dob 9/14/80), Raul Uribe (dob 11/23/85) and Julio Garcia (dob 4/6/84). Braga faces one count each of filing a false police report and preparing false documentary evidence in case BA490395, while Uribe and Garcia both face one count each of preparing false documentary evidence in cases BA490398 and BA490396, respectively. Arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2021, in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Braga, Uribe and Garcia worked at LAPD’s Metro Division and allegedly falsified field interview cards used by officers to conduct interviews while they are on duty. The cards contained false information and misidentified those they had stopped as gang members. Some of the false information contained in the cards was used to wrongfully enter individuals into a state gang database, prosecutors said. In all three cases, the defendants are accused of writing on the card that a person admitted to being a gang member even though body-worn camera video showed the defendants either never asked the individuals about their gang membership or the individuals denied gang membership if they were asked. If convicted as charged, Braga faces up to three years and eight months in county jail, while Uribe and Garcia each face a possible three-year jail term. Additionally, three other offices are facing similar charges in case BA488467. Braxton Shaw (dob 3/15/83), Michael Coblentz (dob 7/18/77) and Nicolas Martinez (dob 8/1/83) are each charged with one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and multiple counts of filing a false police report and preparing false documentary evidence. Arraignment is set for October 13 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. If convicted as charged, Shaw faces up to 31 years and eight months in county jail, while Coblentz faces up to seven years and eight months in jail and Martinez faces up to four years and four months in jail. Attorneys from the Justice System Integrity Division are prosecuting the case. The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. About the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey leads the largest local prosecutorial office in the nation. Her staff of nearly 1,000 attorneys, 300 investigators and 800 support staff members is dedicated to protecting our community through the fair and ethical pursuit of justice and the safeguarding of crime victims’ rights.