Crimes of the Times – "The Generals: Power, Deception and a Cover-Up that Goes to the Top"

Date: October 7, 2025
Host: Christopher Goffard, L.A. Times Studios

Episode Overview

This episode of Crimes of the Times, hosted by Christopher Goffard, delves deeply into the scandal that toppled the leadership of the powerful Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Investigative focus centers on Sheriff Lee Baca and his once-heir apparent, Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, as federal authorities probe efforts to obstruct an FBI investigation into inmate abuse in L.A.'s county jails. Drawing from FBI interview recordings, firsthand accounts, and in-depth analysis, Goffard dismantles public myths, exposes the inner workings of law enforcement politics, and unpacks how a culture of secrecy and loyalty enabled a sprawling conspiracy to reach the top echelons of the agency.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The "Vikings" and the Culture of Deputy Cliques

• Paul Tanaka’s Viking Tattoo:
  An FBI interview brings scrutiny to Tanaka's tattoo marking him as a “Linwood Viking”—one of several deputy cliques in the department.
  • Tanaka: "When I got mine, the Vikings were like. There was no scandal, there was no belief that people who had tattoos were up to no good." [00:38]
• Allegations of Gang Culture:
  The episode draws a line from such symbols to decades of abuse allegations and federal lawsuits, with Goffard noting:
  • Goffard: "The most notorious of these groups was the Linwood Vikings, described by a federal judge in the 1990s as a Neo Nazi gang. The county had paid out $7.5 million to settle lawsuits alleging abuse by some members." [01:38]
• Tanaka’s Evasive Responses:
  Tanaka repeatedly denies having insight or memory about crucial details.
  • Tanaka: "If you said, I'll give you 5 million in cash today, tax free, I would lose it. I wouldn't be able to. I have no idea." [02:37]

2. The FBI Probe and the Cover-Up

• Smuggled Cell Phone and Jail Informant:
  The FBI placed a phone into the hands of inmate Anthony Brown to document jail abuse, provoking outrage at the highest levels of the Sheriff’s Department.
  • Tanaka on Sheriff Baca’s reaction: "I just remember him being mad, mad, mad. Lot of colorful language. Just mad. And you find out that effing phone, and you get that phone… I want to know everything that's on that phone." [07:19]
• Threatening the FBI:
  FBI Agent Leah Marks, leading the probe, was surveilled and threatened with arrest—a move Tanaka denies ordering.
  • Leah Marks (to Tanaka): "So you didn't direct them to come and inform me that I was going to be arrested the next day?"
  • Tanaka: "No." [08:52]

3. “Gray Area” Policing and Leadership Denials

• Tanaka’s Policing Philosophy:
  Subject to criticism is Tanaka’s encouragement of operating in the “gray area,” which many interpret as condoning misconduct.
  • Tanaka: "I realize now, of course, retrospect, gray is a bad color to use in police work. It was not in the traditional sense of what people think. Gray area is the dark area. It's like right outside the line. Because I always made it clear. You crossed the line. You're gone." [06:14]
• Deflection and Evasion:
  Both Tanaka and Baca, in federal interviews, consistently deny knowledge or responsibility regarding key facets of the cover-up:
  • Tanaka (on changing Anthony Brown's records): "I don't know. I did not give the order." [09:06]
  • Baca (on threatening Leah Marks): "Once Leah was threatened with an arrest, it went too far, okay? On the sheriff's department side, it went too far. And if she was sitting right here, I would apologize to her." [15:24]
• Operational Responsibility:
  • Baca: "I don't get into operational matters. I have 17,000 employees. I have 23 sheriff stations and huge contracts. And I have to rely on the people that I have in the intermediate managers." [15:00]

4. The Collapse of Leadership

• Indictments and Resignations:
  • Tanaka steps down as criticism mounts. Baca later announces his retirement after a wave of indictments reach his inner circle.
  • Baca (public statement): "I'm not going to seek reelection for a fifth term as sheriff and I will retire at the end of this month." [21:16]
  • Goffard: “Baca had once told the ACLU, I will never, ever resign. I intend to be sheriff as long as I live.” [20:45]
• Federal Prosecutors’ Strategy:
  Prosecutors, wary of prosecuting a popular lawman, aim for a plea deal.
  • Brandon Fox (prosecutor): "We knew it would be hard to have the jury find him guilty of obstruction of justice… In February of 2016, we felt the strongest case against him was the false statement case." [25:14]
  • Baca initially agrees to a plea; the judge rejects the deal as too lenient, leading to a trial.

5. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Law Enforcement Partnership:
  • Lee Baca: "We have too much to do than put prisoners who are at risk in a position where they are trusted more than I am. I am not going to accept that." [17:17]
• On the Culture of the Department:
  • Baca: "The culture in the jail. It's us versus them. They're the enemy and we're the ones that are good guys now that can get taken to an extreme." [13:35]
• Regret and Reflection:
  • Tanaka: "In retrospect now, I think I would have taken a firmer stance and said, wait a minute. Before we start trying to question another agency's motivations, why don't we sit down with the head guy and have a conversation? But then that's just. It's Monday morning." [09:50]

6. The Final Reckoning

• Legal and Political Consequences:
  • Goffard: “…the Feds had been building their cases strategically, working their way up the chain of command, but holding off on indictments against the top brass until they learned all they could. Finally, they had reached the top.” [11:16]
  • Jack Leonard (reporter): "This comes after a steady drumbeat of criticism for the last few years. What is really the critical factor that he's been facing is the jail scandal." [22:29]
• Personal Fallout:
  • Baca announces retirement citing the divisive nature of another election, but federal scrutiny is rising.
  • Baca’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis enters legal proceedings, further complicating public perception and federal prosecution strategy.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps and Attribution)

• “If there are 10 people in the room, he wants all 10 to consider him friend. No conflict.”
  — Paul Tanaka on Sheriff Baca [05:47]
• “Gray is a bad color to use in police work… It’s like right outside the line. Because I always made it clear. You crossed the line. You're gone.”
  — Paul Tanaka [06:14]
• “No one is a greater believer in inmate rights than I am.”
  — Lee Baca [13:35]
• “Once Leah was threatened with an arrest, it went too far, okay?... And if she was sitting right here, I would apologize to her.”
  — Lee Baca [15:24]
• “I’m not going to seek reelection for a fifth term as sheriff and I will retire at the end of this month.”
  — Lee Baca [21:16]
• “Pandora’s Box, the fall of LA’s sheriff.”
  — Christopher Goffard [26:43]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:38 – 02:37: Tanaka and the Viking tattoo – culture, symbols, and denial.
• 06:14 – 09:50: Gray area philosophy and Tanaka’s deflections in FBI interview.
• 13:35 – 17:53: Baca’s perspectives on jail culture, trust, and the anger at the FBI probe.
• 19:40 – 21:32: Baca’s resignation and public reflections.
• 22:29 – 23:18: Reporter analysis on Baca’s resignation and the FBI’s tightening net.
• 25:14 – 26:28: Legal maneuvering, plea deals, and impending trial.

Tone and Storytelling

Christopher Goffard’s narration is measured, cinematic, and meticulously detailed—always inviting listeners to question received narratives and peer behind official denials. Interviews and dialogue snippets maintain the authentic voices of those involved: Baca’s elliptical, aggrieved defenses; Tanaka’s gruff evasions; and the Feds’ methodical persistence.

Summary

In this episode, Crimes of the Times peels back the façade of America’s most powerful sheriff’s department as its leaders face federal heat. Through tense interviews, internal culture wars, evasions, apologies, and regret, Goffard unpacks how power and institutional loyalty shielded wrongdoing—until, inevitably, the truth clawed its way to the top. As indictments close in, the fate of Baca, Tanaka, and the very fabric of L.A. law enforcement hangs in the balance, raising haunting questions about accountability, trust, and the corrosive lure of unchecked authority.