Former Santa Clara Co. Sheriff captain found guilty in gun bribery scheme
(KRON) — A former Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office captain, James Jensen, 47, was found guilty by a jury related to felony bribery and conspiracy charges on Wednesday.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the former captain was convicted for his role in a scheme to have AS Solutions Inc. — an international security company — donate “as much as $90,000” to get concealed firearms licenses from the sheriff’s office.
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The DA’s office said these concealed firearms licenses were obtained from 2018-2019 for AS Solutions’ “executive protective agents.” Prosecutors said that with Jensen’s verdict, five conspirators were convicted of the bribery scheme.
In October 2018, AS Solutions donated $45,000 through Santa Clara attorney Harpaul Nahal, 42. Nahal, according to prosecutors, donated the cheques to a committee supporting the reelection of former Sheriff Laurie Smith.
In August 2019, conspirators were in the midst of donating another $45,000 when the DA’s office served a search warrant at the sheriff’s office, “and the investigation was revealed,” the DA’s office said.
According to testimony at trial, “nearly all applications by members of the public for a first-time CCW license submitted in 2018 and 2019 were completely ignored.” The DA’s office said Jensen negotiated and shepherded the firearms license applications and, at the time, got four of them approved by Smith.
“Government services, including the issuance of gun permits, are not for sale in Santa Clara County,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. Jensen currently faces up to four years in state prison.
Nahal, according to prosecutors, was acquitted of felony bribery and conspiracy charges. Although Sheriff Smith was never charged with a crime in connection with this scheme, she resigned in 2022, just days before she was found guilty in a trial to remove her from office.
The court will sentence Jensen on September 9.
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Two more cases remain involving other bribes and defendants, including former Undersheriff Rick Sung, Apple’s head of global security, Thomas Moyer, and local insurance broker Harpreet Chadha.
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