A former Drug Enforcement Administration agent charged final yr with stockpiling unlawful weapons and home violence now faces extra costs 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 area workplace that seemingly price Younger his badge, and the alleged highway rage episode two years later.
“My workplace is not going to 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 — characterize each a risk to public security and a betrayal of public belief,” L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman stated in an announcement.
Younger’s lawyer, Jeff Voll, declined to touch upon the brand new costs.
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 residence turned up 30,000 rounds of ammunition, a number of grenades and a cache of 15 completely different firearms — together with a sawed-off shotgun and 4 different weapons unlawful to personal below 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 Basic final month.
Younger was making an attempt 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. In keeping with a movement filed by the district lawyer’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 advised California Freeway Patrol investigators that he was the one one who used that car, in keeping with court docket data.
Weeks later, Younger allegedly known as a former co-worker and made “imprecise, but regarding, threats concerning the CHP officers.” He’d even discovered their residence addresses, in keeping with court docket data.
Voll stated there was no reality to that allegation.
“It by no means occurred,” he stated.
The CHP introduced a prison threats case to prosecutors, which stays below evaluation, in keeping with Zara Lockshin, a spokeswoman for the district lawyer’s workplace.
Younger was below investigation by three completely different legislation enforcement companies final yr when L.A. County Superior Court docket Decide Bernie LaForteza freed him on his personal recognizance in October over strenuous objections from prosecutors, who famous he lately 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 residence that he as soon as shared together with his spouse.
When the brand new costs had 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 stated.
A preliminary listening to will most likely happen in the summertime, in keeping with Voll.
