Ex-DEA agent charged with pointing gun at co-worker and motorist in separate incidents

[ad_1] A former Drug Enforcement Administration agent charged final yr with stockpiling unlawful weapons and home violence now faces extra expenses for pointing a gun at a fellow federal agent and waving a firearm throughout a 2024 highway rage incident, data present.

James Younger, 53, faces as much as 29 years in jail after prosecutors charged him with 5 counts of assault with a firearm, assault with a lethal weapon, brandishing a gun at one other motorist and inflicting a hit-and-run accident, in keeping with an amended prison grievance filed final month.

The costs stem from a 2022 incident on the DEA’s Los Angeles subject workplace that seemingly value Younger his badge, and the alleged highway rage episode two years later.

“My workplace won't tolerate prison conduct by these we entrust to implement the legislation. The disturbing allegations of this case — together with home violence, a number of assaults with a firearm, and an intentional hit-and-run — signify each a menace to public security and a betrayal of public belief,” L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman mentioned in a press release.

Younger’s legal professional, Jeff Voll, declined to touch upon the brand new expenses.

The previous agent was first arrested after he was accused of choking his estranged spouse and inserting her in a wrestling maintain final yr. A subsequent search of Younger’s house turned up 30,000 rounds of ammunition, a number of grenades and a cache of 15 totally different firearms — together with a sawed-off shotgun and 4 different weapons unlawful to personal underneath state legislation, data present. Police additionally discovered modified DEA credentials, meant to make it seem that Younger was nonetheless a federal legislation enforcement officer, data present.

Younger’s 25-year legislation enforcement profession got here to a detailed in 2022, when he allegedly jabbed his loaded service weapon into the stomach of a fellow agent, in keeping with court docket data. The sufferer was described as “a subordinate worker” in a discover printed by the Justice Division’s Workplace of the Inspector Normal final month.

Younger was trying to be “playful,” in keeping with court docket data, however the different agent responded by disarming and bodily subduing Younger, who was ordered to give up his gun and shortly retired.

The DEA declined to touch upon the fees in opposition to Younger.

The opposite incident occurred in September final yr on the 405 Freeway. Based on a movement filed by the district legal professional’s workplace final yr, Younger bumped one other different automotive together with his car twice, then pointed a handgun within the different driver’s route. The motorist was capable of determine Younger’s automotive, and the previous agent informed California Freeway Patrol investigators that he was the one one who used that car, in keeping with court docket data.

Weeks later, Younger allegedly referred to as a former co-worker and made “imprecise, but regarding, threats concerning the CHP officers.” He’d even realized their house addresses, in keeping with court docket data.

Voll mentioned there was no reality to that allegation.

“It by no means occurred,” he mentioned.

The CHP introduced a prison threats case to prosecutors, which stays underneath assessment, in keeping with Zara Lockshin, a spokeswoman for the district legal professional’s workplace.

Younger was underneath investigation by three totally different legislation enforcement companies final yr when L.A. County Superior Courtroom Choose Bernie LaForteza freed him on his personal recognizance in October over strenuous objections from prosecutors, who famous he not too long ago had been present in possession of a small arsenal.

The subsequent day, Younger was detained by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Division once more on suspicion of breaking into the Saugus house that he as soon as shared together with his spouse.

When the brand new expenses have been filed final month, prosecutors argued for Younger to be held in lieu of $235,000 bail, in keeping with Lockshin. A choose once more disregarded prosecutors’ considerations and allowed the previous federal agent to stay free awaiting trial, although Younger is topic to electrical monitoring, Lockshin mentioned.