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Perez's ex-lover says LAPD officer encouraged her to fabricate murder story

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The ex-lover of a key witness in the Los Angeles police scandal has told FBI agents that an LAPD officer encouraged her to lie to federal officials, CNN has learned.

The fabricated story told by Sonia Flores may have had an enormous impact on the first trial of allegedly corrupt cops.

Flores' story first emerged shortly before that trial got under way. Her ex-lover, former Los Angeles police officer Rafael Perez, was slated to testify in that proceeding.

At that time, Flores told federal authorities that Perez and a partner had taken part in three murders and buried the bodies in Tijuana, Mexico. That revelation, which forced the excavation of the Tijuana site, also made it impossible for prosecutors to call Perez to the witness stand and thus weakened their case.

Three officers were convicted of conspiracy charges in that trial but a judge later reversed their convictions, saying there was insufficient evidence against them. The judge also concluded that jurors discussed the wrong evidence and failed to decide a key issue in the case.

Flores eventually recanted her story, saying she made it up to get back at her ex-lover. She pleaded guilty to lying to the federal officials and now faces a prison sentence.

But authorities wanted to know if someone put her up to the whole thing. The FBI, having once been burned by Flores, now wants to question her further. And they want to talk to the LAPD officer who allegedly told Flores to lie to federal officials.

A spokeswoman for the LAPD said Friday night that the department welcomes an investigation by the FBI to clear its officer, but urges every one to be highly suspect of anything Flores has to say.

CNN Correspondent Charles Feldman contributed to this report.



RELATED STORIES:
LAPD corruption lawyer files a motion for new trial
December 12, 2000
Ex-lover of former LAPD cop pleads guilty to lying to FBI
December 8, 2000
Three LAPD officers convicted in corruption scandal
November 15, 2000
Prosecutor says cops lost 'moral compass' as closing arguments begin in LAPD trial
November 7, 2000

RELATED SITES:
Department of Justice proposed consent decree
City of Los Angeles notes on proposed plan
Independent Analysis of the Los Angeles Police Department's Board of Inquiry Report on the Rampart Scandal


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