LOS ANGELES — Six months after his predecessor announced a criminal investigation into an alleged fraud scheme involving some of the deputies responsible for issuing concealed carry licenses, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed this week that he has turned the matter over to state prosecutors.
Two deputies were relieved of duty last year, and the sheriff's department raided a Monterey Park gun store as part of an investigation that officials said stemmed from the discovery of "irregularities" in the process for issuing licenses to carry concealed weapons, also known as CCW permits.
News of the investigation stirred controversy on the campaign trail, in part because then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva put his often-criticized Public Corruption Unit in charge of handling the case. That move sparked concerns about the department investigating itself instead of referring the matter elsewhere.
