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Kern Deputies Accept Plea Deals In Drug, Corruption Investigation

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Former Kern County Sheriff's Deputy Logan August in a still image from an apology video posted on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjZZXfBu0Rs

A drug and corruption investigation that has rocked Kern County area law enforcement for the last two years has grown into a new stage.

Last week two former Kern County sheriff’sdeputies accepted plea deals with the U.S. Attorney office on charges they conspired to steal and then later sell marijuana, which the department had confiscated as evidence.

Deputies Derek Penny and Logan August could face prison time for their alleged offenses, which follow last year’s convictions of two Bakersfield Police Department narcotics detectives for similar charges. Officers Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara are now serving 5 year sentences in their respective cases.

Lois Henryof The Bakersfield Californian recently wrote about the scandal in her columnand joined us on Valley Edition to talk about the issue. 

To watch one of the deputies apologize view below. 

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Joe Moore is the President and General Manager of KVPR / Valley Public Radio. He has led the station through major programming changes, the launch of KVPR Classical and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership the station was named California Non-Profit of the Year by Senator Melissa Hurtado (2019), and won a National Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting (2022).