Los Angeles, CA (DMN) – Federal prosecutors have alleged that four individuals with backgrounds in law enforcement and the military carried out a deceptive raid on a California businessman’s residence in 2019. They allegedly coerced him into relinquishing the rights to his business, which is valued at tens of millions of dollars.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the individuals involved in the incident allegedly carried out a physical assault on a businessman in his home in Irvine. The attack was reportedly orchestrated by the victim’s business partner, who funded the operation.
According to prosecutors, four individuals posing as law enforcement officers conducted a fraudulent operation, coercing a man to sign over his multimillion-dollar interest in Jiangsu Sinorgchem, a Chinese rubber chemical manufacturer. The victim and his business partner had been engaged in a long-standing dispute over this matter.
The man’s wife and two children were present during the raid. The victim and his business partner, referred to as unindicted co-conspirator 1, were not identified by name. According to the U.S. attorney’s office, unindicted co-conspirator 1 is described as a “wealthy Chinese national.”
Four individuals from different locations are facing charges related to extortion and conspiracy, according to a recent indictment. The charges include conspiracy to commit extortion, attempted extortion, conspiracy against rights, and deprivation of rights under color of law.
Lankford, a retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, concluded his tenure with the agency in 2020 and now operates a process service company based in Santa Clarita. Cozart, another former county sheriff’s deputy, is the owner of a private investigation and security services company. Turbett, a former member of the British military, runs a business specializing in private investigation and asset recovery. Hart, a former member of the Australian military, is the proprietor of a management service business, according to prosecutors.
The four defendants are set to appear in court for their arraignment on Monday afternoon. Their lawyers were unavailable for immediate comment.
“It is crucial that we ensure public officials, including law enforcement officers, are held accountable to the same standards as everyone else,” stated U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “It is deeply concerning and a grave infringement on civil rights when a sworn police officer exceeds their authority and abuses their power within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”
If found guilty, the defendants could potentially be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each count of extortion and up to 10 years in federal prison for each count related to deprivation of rights, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors have stated that there was a prolonged disagreement between the victim and his business partner regarding their ownership in the rubber chemical manufacturer. According to prosecutors, the disagreements resulted in multiple lawsuits in China and one in Atlanta.
In December 2018, the individual who has not been charged with a crime reportedly reached out to Turbett for assistance in resolving a business disagreement. According to prosecutors, she expressed her dissatisfaction with the lengthy and expensive legal battle, stating that it was not a wise approach to resolving her dispute. She urged Turbett to explore alternative solutions to bring the problem to a close. According to authorities, she made a promise to Turbett that if he assisted her, they could both retire.
According to prosecutors, Turbett and another individual worked together to create settlement agreements that required victim 1 to transfer assets, such as a significant amount of cash and valuable shares in Jiangsu Sinorgchem, to the other party.
As a result of that action, a series of events unfolded, culminating in the staged raid on June 17, 2019. Prior to that, prosecutors claimed that Turbett had enlisted Cozart’s help in locating victim 1 and forming a team to obtain Victim 1’s signature on the settlement agreements.
Cozart, in turn, enlisted the services of Lankford, who was a sheriff’s deputy at the time. Against department policy, Lankford conducted a search using victim 1’s name and date of birth in the National Crime Information Center database. According to prosecutors, it is strictly prohibited to use law enforcement databases for personal purposes.
Turbett and Hart traveled from Australia to Los Angeles, where they met with Cozart and Lankford to strategize the planned raid, according to prosecutors.
Authorities reported that during the incident, the defendants allegedly compelled the victim and his family to gather in a single room. According to prosecutors, their phones were confiscated and they were detained for several hours. According to prosecutors, the businessman faced a series of violent acts, including being choked, slammed into a wall, and receiving threats of deportation for him and his wife. Additionally, there was the distressing possibility of permanent separation from their 4-year-old son.
According to authorities, the victim proceeded to sign the settlement agreements. Despite being instructed not to contact the authorities, the victim defied the defendants’ orders and promptly reached out to the Irvine police, according to prosecutors.
According to prosecutors, Lankford provided misleading information to the police regarding his presence at the businessman’s home, claiming it was for a valid law enforcement reason and that the businessman had given consent to everyone being there, without any use of force.
According to authorities, by November 2019, all defendants had received payment for their efforts in pressuring the businessman to sign the settlement.
According to prosecutors, the unindicted co-conspirator paid Turbett’s company approximately $419,813 and expressed gratitude via email for a job well done.
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