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Federal prosecutors announced Monday they will retry a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy — who was cleared last week of two related counts — on a remaining charge of lying to the FBI.

Byron Dredd was acquitted by a Los Angeles jury last week of filing phony reports to cover up of the beating of a handcuffed jail visitor. The jury deadlocked 10-2 for acquittal on the false statements count.

Prosecutors said they would retry Dredd on the outstanding charge — which carries a five-year maximum prison sentence — with the retrial scheduled to begin on Oct. 26.

Dredd, 34, is the sixth sheriff’s official to be prosecuted for the assault on Gabriel Carrillo and its aftermath. Three others were previously convicted by a jury and two ex-lawmen struck deals with prosecutors.

Dredd was charged in a three-count indictment alleging conspiracy to violate Carrillo’s civil rights and two counts of making false reports. Although he was not involved in the beating of Carrillo, prosecutors argued that he helped his co-defendants fabricate reports and that he subsequently lied to the FBI during an interview in July 2012.

Dredd — who is on paid leave from the department — testified in his own defense that his incident report was revised by his boss, but insisted he did not lie to the FBI about what transpired with Carrillo.

The assault victim and the two ex-deputies who signed plea agreements testified against Dredd.

Like his co-defendants, Dredd was assigned to the visiting center at the downtown jail. On Feb. 26, 2011, Carrillo and his girlfriend went to the jail to visit his incarcerated brother. Both visitors had cell phones in their possession, which is prohibited under jail rules.

When the phones were discovered, Carrillo was handcuffed and brought into an employee break room, where he was beaten and sprayed with a burning agent similar to pepper spray, evidence at a previous trial showed.

—City News Service

Lying to FBI? Prosecutors to retry LASD deputy on false statements charge was last modified: by

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