POSSIBLE CRIMINAL IMPLICATIONS OF SERGEANT BARNEY’S SEX CULTISM

    While in Covelo over a decade or more ending in 2007, Sergeant Shannon Barney and his wife Deanna habitually allegedly corrupted deputies in his command, effectively  making them ongoing accomplices in his abuses of power. (Cox v. Mendocino County et al, #08-51220, Mendocino County Ukiah Courthouse).

    According to verified allegations in this action, Barney pandered her to them and demanded they pander their wives to him, thus forming a sex cult or tribe with himself as chief at night as well as sergeant by day.

    Alcohol abuse use by day and night, on and off duty was allegedly among those abuses. Apparently as a result of this corruption, two deputies Brett White and Eric Gore were ruined professionally by alcohol abuse and in apparent remorse committed suicide just over a year apart as they were being drummed out of the department.

    In 2007, newly elected Sheriff Tom Allman, who had been Barney’s immediate superior during the period in question, brought him to Ukiah  so he could “rebuild” the Covelo deputy residency.     A year later, Allman appointed him Chief Deputy Sergeant Coroner, and subsequently, Coordinator of MCSO Emergency Services with command authority over all county resources in a declared state of emergency. 

    Apparentlly, it was a transfer intended to interrupt the ongoing scandal and bring Barney under closer supervision while retaining him in the department by giving him important duties.

    In so doing, Sheriff Allman may have been within his administrative discretion. But in so doing he may have overlooked possible violations of the California Penal Code implicit in Barney’s and Deanna’s behavior.

Penal Code implications:

RAPE:

    • By implicit or explicit threats of professional retaliation, Barney may have suborned statutory rape by his wife Deanna of his subordinate male deputies in that it was sex obtained from the deputies by Deanna under “duress” as defined in Penal Code Sec. 261 (2) (b), a felony punishable between 3-8 years in state prison.

PROSTITUTION:

    Section 647(b) defines "prostitution" as including any lewd act between persons for money or other consideration.

      • Alternatively, Barney may have suborned statutory prostitution by – or pandered – Deanna to -- his male deputies in consideration for loyalty and complicity in his abuses of power.

      • Alternatively, Barney may have suborned statutory prostitution by his deputies – or pandered them -- to Deanna in that it was sex for consideration that absent the consideration they would not have performed. The consideration they received or hoped to receive was the favor of their superior officer.

PANDERING

    Section 266i.  (a) provides that pandering is a felony, and shall be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for three, four, or six years. A panderer is one who (1) Procures another person for the purpose of prostitution, or (2) who by promises, threats, violence, or by any device or scheme, causes, induces, persuades or encourages another person to become a prostitute, or (5) By fraud or artifice, or by duress of person or goods, or by abuse of any position of confidence or authority, procures another person for the purpose of prostitution, or (6) Receives or gives, or agrees to receive or give, any money or thing of value for procuring, or attempting to procure, another person for the purpose of prostitution

    • Once they had sex with Deanna, Barney used this information, as well as promises of favor or threats of retaliation to suborn his deputies to pander their wives to him.

    • The deputies pandered their wives to Barney.

    • Barney committed statutory rape against the deputies’ wives, using his position of authority and knowledge of their  husband’s sexual liaisons with Deanna.

    • Alternatively, Barney may have suborned statutory prostitution by demanding and obtaining sex for himself from the deputies’ wives, using the color of his authority over their husband’s careers, the consideration being favor either promised or implied.

EXTORTION:

    Section 518 defines one form of extortion as obtaining an official act of a public officer induced by a wrongful use of force or fear, or under color of official right. Section 519 further defines fear as may be induced by a threat to either (3) To expose, or to impute to him or them any deformity, disgrace or crime; or, (4) To expose any secret affecting him or them.

    • Barney obtained official acts in the form of loyalty and silence from deputies in his command under color of official right and by threatening to expose their sexual liaisons with Deanna either to their wives or to other law enforcement officials.