Two Fresno business owners are accusing 10 Fresno police officers of illegally seizing $100,000 in September 2013 during an investigation into an alleged illegal gambling ring.
Micah Jessop and Brittan Ashjian filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of California seeking damages from the city of Fresno and the group of officers. They include former detective Derik Kumagai, who pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge of taking a $20,000 bribe from a drug dealer.
“This sort of dishonesty by officers simply can’t be accepted,” said Kevin Little, attorney for Jessop and Ashjian. “What if this were biological evidence in a murder? Police play a custodial role in deciding who goes to jail, who doesn’t and — in some cases — who lives or dies.”