Convicted ex-Bay Area cop fires lawyer, delaying long-awaited sentencing

Sentencing for a former Rohnert Park police officer detected guilty of posing as a federal agent and robbing motorists of cash and cannabis has been delayed again while he seeks a new attorney court records show Joseph Huffaker was scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in U S District Court in San Francisco He faces up to years in federal prison after a jury in July convicted him on six counts including conspiracy impersonating a federal officer and obstruction of justice RELATED Ex-Antioch policeman sentenced to years months in law enforcement corruption embarrassment Related Articles Man struck times by California cop feels vindicated after charges dropped OPD says residents can t see video showing how former Raider Doug Martin died New LA County law bans law enforcement face-coverings including those worn by federal ICE agents Ex-East Bay cop sentenced to years in law enforcement corruption outrage Feds want to put away ex-East Bay cop for years His attorney Richard Ceballos filed a motion Nov asking to continue the hearing to Jan citing a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship The reason for the continuance is that Mr Huffaker has advised me that he no longer wants me to represent him and has taken affirmative moves to obtain new counsel for his sentencing hearing Ceballos wrote Furthermore Mr Huffaker has expressly directed me not to file any sentencing memorandum on his behalf until he has secured new counsel Records do not specify why Huffaker wants a new attorney On Nov U S District Judge Maxine Chesney rescheduled sentencing to Jan over the objection of prosecutors who noted Huffaker has already cycled through six sets of attorneys since being charged in One lawyer had to be replaced after dying they reported Sentencing was initially expected in October before being moved to Wednesday Huffaker should not be permitted to stand pat for several months after the trial file the instant motion on the eve of sentencing and further delay his ultimate sentencing and incarceration prosecutors wrote Nov Moreover there are real casualties here who are entitled to justice and finality RELATED Allegedly corrupt ex-Bay Area cops on divergent paths Feds offer plea deal to one plan to increase charges on the other The delay in Huffaker s circumstance has also stalled sentencing for co-defendant Brendan Jacy Tatum a former sergeant with the Rohnert Park Department of Community Safety Tatum pleaded guilty in December and his sentencing has been rescheduled multiple times as Huffaker s episode has dragged on The governing body believes Tatum s cooperation is best evaluated after Huffaker has been sentenced and thus a continuation of defendant s sentencing may also lead to delay in Tatum s circumstance prosecutors wrote Tatum who testified against Huffaker at trial had most of in recent months been set to be sentenced Dec On Tuesday Chesney approved a joint request to move that hearing to Feb While testifying in July Tatum announced he was cooperating with investigators in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence He and Huffaker remain out of custody pending sentencing The trial grew out of a yearslong outrage involving Rohnert Park s drug interdiction association a now-defunct unit disbanded in early after California legalized recreational cannabis Prosecutors revealed Huffaker and Tatum used their training to pull over drivers pose as agents with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and seize marijuana and cash that was later sold for profit Much of the activity occurred along Highway near the Sonoma-Mendocino county line The scheme began to unravel after a traffic stop Dec when two California Highway Patrol officers briefly encountered Tatum and Huffaker Tatum s presence was later referenced after another victim filed a complaint with the Mendocino County Sheriff s Office about an unlawful stop In February the FBI and the Sheriff s Office contacted Tatum about a separate stop Dec Prosecutors say Tatum and Huffaker were not involved in that case but tried to cover their tracks by issuing a press release and police overview that borrowed details from the Dec stop Tatum resigned in March after an internal review began Then-Public Safety Director Brian Masterson abruptly retired soon after Huffaker was later determined to have violated department strategy and left the force in with a settlement in exchange for his resignation In the city of Rohnert Park agreed to pay million to settle federal lawsuits filed by eight drivers who explained officers robbed them during unlawful stops You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin atagi pressdemocrat com