Los Angeles Cop Convicted of Tipping Off Massage Parlor About Prostitution Raids - News Maven

[Keith Palmer]

Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lieutenant David Smith, 58, was convicted on September 12 on charges related to tipping off West Hollywood, California massage parlor employees about planned law enforcement raids in exchange for sexual favors.

Smith was immediately sentenced to 150 hours of community service, placed on summary probation for three years and ordered to stay away from massage parlors and spas, the Associated Press reports.

In 2016 Smith said he would conduct lawful inspections at massage parlors in West Hollywood. However, Smith payed for sex at two of the locations between 2016 and 2017. He also received gifts from a massage parlor employee. In return, Smith checked to see whether law enforcement planned on raiding the employee’s location.

On one occasion Smith told an employee there may be law enforcement officers near the business and advised her she might want to close for the evening. Smith was charged for his crimes in June of 2018.

But he left the sheriff’s department in late 2017, several months before charges were filed against him.

Smith pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of obstructing or delaying law enforcement and two misdemeanor counts of solicitation of prostitution.