Ex-L.A. sheriff pleads guilty in corruption case

LOS ANGELES -- Former Los Angeles sheriff Lee Baca pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying to federal authorities investigating corruption in the department, a probe that tarnished his long career and appeared to trigger his abrupt retirement.

Baca, a media-savvy lawman who used his platform as head of the nation's largest sheriff's department to travel the world touting progressive policing policies, had been largely out of sight since leaving office a year early in January 2014. He dodged questions about any connection to the corruption even as other former underlings pleaded guilty or were convicted.

That changed Wednesday with the announcement by federal authorities the corruption went all the way to the top of the department, and Baca had agreed to take the fall.Within hours, Baca was in a federal courtroom, pleading guilty to a single felony count that could put him behind bars for up to six months. Sentencing is May 16.

Attorney Michael Zweiback said Baca had a 50-year career in law enforcement, does a lot of good in the community and doesn't deserve prison time. In a brief typed statement signed "Lee Baca retired sheriff," he said he had made a mistake and accepted being held accountable.

"This is not a day of celebration for us," U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said. "It is a sad day when a leader of a law-enforcement agency fails to honor his oath and instead of upholding justice chooses to obstruct it."