November 25, 1999
Web posted at: 12:39 a.m. EST (0539 GMT)

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- The Los Angeles District Attorney's office has received its first reports from the Los Angeles Police Department in a corruption scandal that could lead to criminal prosecution of police officers.

According to the district attorney's office, the preliminary reports cite two officers within the police department against whom a case might be built.

One of the officers was identified as Nino Durden. Durden was the partner of Rafael Perez, a former LAPD officer whose disclosures resulted in a massive police probe.

The other officer cited in the reports was not immediately identified. The DA's office said on Wednesday the reports are the first evidence presented to them by LAPD officials as part of the widening corruption investigation.

Former policeman says innocent man framed

Perez has been providing authorities with information on alleged wrongdoing within the department. As part of a plea bargain on a drug charge, Perez admitted that he and his partner framed an innocent man, Javier Ovando.

Ovando was released from prison in September after serving three years for a crime he apparently did not commit. He was shot and paralyzed during his arrest.

The DA's office stressed that the reports are preliminary and may or may not lead to criminal charges.

The disclosures by Perez launched the largest investigation in LAPD history. More than 1,500 cases involving officers from LA's Rampart Division are currently under review.

While the district attorney's office calls Wednesday's development "significant," LAPD spokeswoman Lt. Sharyn Buck said the information turned over to the DA's office was not significant, but was simply part of the ongoing investigation.