Fall from Grace: Former Officer Morteza Amiri Sentenced in High-Profile Abuse of Power Case

🛑 Former Antioch Officer Morteza Amiri Convicted in Civil Rights and Wire Fraud Cases

ANTIOCH, Calif. — A federal jury and subsequent sentencing have delivered a harsh verdict against Morteza Amiri, a former K‑9 handler with the Antioch Police Department, marking a deeply troubling chapter in a broader corruption and abuse scandal.

⚖️ Federal Civil Rights Conviction (March 2025)

On March 14, 2025, a jury in U.S. District Court convicted Amiri on two serious counts:

1. Deprivation of civil rights under color of law — for deploying his police dog, Purcy, on a bicyclist during a 2019 traffic stop (after punching the victim) apnews.com+15justice.gov+15kqed.org+15.
2. Falsification of records — Amiri lied in his report, claiming he acted alone despite the presence of a ride‑along officer during the dog bite incident ktvu.com+4justice.gov+4thefederalnewswire.com+4.

Although acquitted of conspiracy and other civil‑rights charges tied to additional alleged K‑9 deployments, the convictions highlight lasting damage: video and text evidence revealed Amiri’s disturbing behavior—including sharing graphic photos of dog bites and boasting to colleagues via text sfchronicle.com+5kqed.org+5justice.gov+5.

🕵️‍♂️ Wire Fraud & College Degree Scheme (August 2024)

In August 2024, a separate trial found Amiri guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy. He had paid someone to complete online college courses that earned him a bachelor’s degree—used to claim a pay raise from the department reddit.com+15justice.gov+15sfchronicle.com+15.

🏛️ Sentencing & Penalties (June 2025)

On June 25, 2025, Judge Jeffrey White sentenced Amiri to a seven-year federal prison term, followed by three years of supervised release sfchronicle.com+1kqed.org+1. The sentence is one of the strongest federal punishments imposed on a police officer in the East Bay in recent years reddit.com+2kqed.org+2ktvu.com+2.

Financial penalties include:

• $3,000 restitution to the victim of the K‑9 attack.
• $10,500 reimbursement to the City of Antioch for his fraudulent degree raise apnews.com+15sfchronicle.com+15thefederalnewswire.com+15.

Prosecutors had sought eight years in prison, emphasizing Amiri's betrayal of public trust, while his legal team highlighted his PTSD and rehabilitation efforts ktvu.com+15sfchronicle.com+15sfchronicle.com+15.

🌐 Broader Antioch-Pittsburg Police Scandal

The convictions are part of a sweeping federal probe involving ten officers across Antioch and Pittsburg PDs. Investigators revealed alarming patterns of misconduct, including:

• Racist and homophobic text exchanges among officers.
• Obstruction of justice via bogus reports and disabling body cameras.
• Illegal use-of-force tools, such as K‑9 bites and 40 mm launchers reddit.com+15cnn.com+15sfchronicle.com+15reddit.com+15ktvu.com+15ktvu.com+15reddit.com+2ktvu.com+2ktvu.com+2.

One text message by Amiri stated, 

“Since we don’t have video I sometimes just say people gave me a full confession when they didn’t. [Gets] filed easier.” ktvu.com+15justice.gov+15reddit.com+15reddit.com+3ktvu.com+3ktvu.com+3

📣 Official Reactions

• Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins remarked:
  “Officers … who are sworn to protect the law and instead put themselves above it will be held accountable.” legalnewsline.com+2justice.gov+2sfchronicle.com+2
• FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani affirmed:
  “No badge is a shield from accountability.” thefederalnewswire.com+5justice.gov+5kqed.org+5kqed.org+1sfchronicle.com+1

Collective fallout from the scandal prompted the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office to dismiss or revisit dozens of cases influenced by the corrupt officers, and led to calls for department-wide reform ktvu.com+1abc7news.com+1.

🔍 What’s Next?

• Sentencing ramifications: Amiri is expected to begin serving his seven-year term.
• Ongoing prosecutions: Co-defendants, such as Devon Wenger, face retrial and continued legal scrutiny ktvu.com+15sfchronicle.com+15sfchronicle.com+15.
• Reform efforts: The scandal has intensified pressure for stronger oversight, ethics training, and transparency in Northern California police departments.

✅ Bottom Line

The case of Morteza Amiri underscores a stark betrayal of law enforcement principles—abuse of power, racial bias, and deceit—corrupted further by personal gain. With substantial prison time and broader reforms unfolding, his convictions mark a turning point in holding rogue officers accountable and restoring public confidence.