L.A. police reserve officer kidnapped man for ransom, prosecutors say

Prosecutors have charged a former Los Angeles police officer in a kidnapping for ransom that occurred when he was nonetheless an energetic reserve officer.

The December incident, which authorities mentioned concerned the previous officer and three different males, started with a Koreatown dwelling invasion. Eric Halem and one other man are accused of then kidnapping a person and forcing him to show over $200,000 in cryptocurrency.

Halem, 37, was arrested Thursday afternoon by members of the LAPD’s Theft-Murder Division and held with out bail. Halem served about 13 years as an officer earlier than turning into a reserve officer. Along with kidnapping for ransom, which carries a possible life sentence, he’s charged with a separate rely of kidnapping, together with 4 counts of theft in reference to the house invasion.

“Whether or not you as soon as wore a badge and served in legislation enforcement or not, in the event you participate in violent crimes, you can be held totally accountable,” Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan J. Hochman mentioned in a press release.

On Dec. 28, 2024, at about 2:30 a.m., Halem and L.A. resident Mishael Mann, 20, allegedly entered an house in Koreatown, the place they handcuffed two victims, transferred cash from a sufferer’s cryptocurrency account and stole money and jewellery earlier than fleeing, prosecutors say. Luis Banuelos, 28, of Jurupa Valley and 26-year-old Pierre Louis of Attleboro, Mass., are accused of ready outdoors the house to function getaway drivers, in keeping with prosecutors.

Halem and Mann each pleaded not responsible at their arraignment Monday. Banuelos and Louis pleaded not responsible at a June 11 arraignment. A preliminary listening to for all 4 defendants is scheduled for Sept. 24 in downtown Los Angeles.

Halem, of Porter Ranch, and Mann are being held with out bail; the opposite two are being held in lieu of $1.3 million bail. LAPD investigators arrested the alleged getaway drivers in Could.

After Halem’s arrest, LAPD investigators obtained warrants for the search of his dwelling and mentioned they recovered a number of firearms he owned.

In an unattributed assertion despatched Friday afternoon in response to questions from The Occasions, the LAPD confirmed Halem’s arrest however mentioned it was “not associated to the division’s investigation into residential burglaries within the west valley.”

Halem opted to hitch the division’s reserve officer program in 2022, the place he remained till March, after he was charged in February in a separate case involving alleged insurance coverage fraud. Halem was stripped of his reserve police powers after the prison case in opposition to him was introduced.

Throughout his LAPD profession, Halem labored on the aspect as a safety guide and in addition rented out luxurious vehicles to music artists and celebrities.

In 2019, he was employed to supply safety for Randall Emmett, an motion film producer. Emmett was the topic of a 2022 Occasions investigation and subsequent Hulu documentary that surfaced allegations of abuse in opposition to girls and assistants in addition to mistreatment of enterprise companions. Emmett has denied the allegations.

Across the similar time, Halem landed small roles in TV reveals together with “Vanderpump Guidelines” and “Midnight within the Switchgrass.”

Earlier this 12 months, he and his brother had been charged with insurance coverage fraud over what prosecutors alleged was an elaborate scheme associated to a Bentley crash in January 2023.

Eric Halem ran the Kaypr and Drive L.A. automobile rental firms, which boasted a fleet of uncommon luxurious automobiles, together with a 2020 Bentley Continental GT and a neon inexperienced Lamborghini Urus.

Prosecutors allege Halem advised his insurance coverage firm that his brother borrowed the Bentley and crashed it on Jan. 5, 2023.

However a police investigation discovered that the Bentley had been rented by a Drive L.A. consumer who wrecked it three days prior. After the rental driver’s insurance coverage declare was denied due to a scarcity of correct protection, Eric Halem filed a fraudulent declare for greater than $200,000 along with his insurance coverage firm on his private coverage, misrepresenting particulars of the accident, authorities allege.

Halem has pleaded not responsible to 2 felony counts of insurance coverage fraud. His brother Jacob Halem, 32, additionally pleaded not responsible to a rely of insurance coverage fraud.

Court docket information present that LAPD inner affairs investigators had been wanting into comparable allegations in opposition to Halem close to the tip of his division profession.