The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

Two sheriff’s deputies charged with perjury, filing false reports

by •

LOS ANGELES – Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that they filed false reports and committed perjury in connection with traffic stops they made in 2016 while working at the Santa Clarita Valley station.

Michael Berk, 58, and Justin Fisk, 40, are accused of stopping motorists — who wound up being law enforcement officers — for speeding violations between September and November 2016 and issuing them citations for not having proof of insurance, even though the drivers had valid insurance, instead of giving them speeding tickets.

The alleged misconduct came to light after a Los Angeles deputy police chief told a sheriff’s captain that the two deputies may have issued falsified traffic tickets, according to the complaint.

Berk is charged with four felony counts each of  filing a false report and perjury, and could face up to five years in state prison if convicted as charged, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Fisk is charged with two felony counts each of filing a false report and perjury and could face up to three years and eight months behind bars.

The case stems from an investigation by the Sheriff’s Department’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau.

–

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Home

10 comments for "Two sheriff’s deputies charged with perjury, filing false reports"

  1. This isn’t new. The only difference is, the common citizen has no voice. The corruption in this County is widespread.

  2. I can not understand the reason for writing a ticket for no insurance rather than speeding. How would it be of any benefit to them? Makes no sense to me.

  3. Never trust anybody completely. Especially law enforcement. They certainly don’t trust YOU. In fact, across the entire course of life you’ll find nobody that trusts you less.

  4. Law Enforcement – the only business in which lying and falsifying paperwork virtually never gets punished. Let them answer for the same actions that would have all the rest of us immediately terminated from our jobs for lying.

  5. It’s a shame you can’t trust law enforcement in the AV. They appear to be bigger crooks than the rest of society

  6. Maybe they’re friends of mark fuhrman? In any event, it seems rather implausible that they would risk careers on such a small matter as a moving violation ticket….look for the bloody glove they may have planted. We know Fuhrman planted it! But, if they invoke the 5th, then you know they are guilty.

  7. Hang in their Berk and Fisk, I know you both and you both were very good motors. The department is just hanging you out to dry like they did me. When a deputy is not part of the in crowd, they find a reason to get you out the door by any means. I Know this is total bs.