> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Police officer files racketeering charges against City - URL: https://www.smdp.com/police-officer-files-racketeering-charges-against-city/ - Published: 2003-01-13T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T01:18:07.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Lawsuit against SMPD previously dismissed* *By Daily Press staff* A Santa Monica policeman has filed a claim against the city alleging that the police chief allowed a pattern of racketeering within the department for years. Erick Marroquin filed the claim against the City of Santa Monica because it hired and retained James T. Butts Jr. as the police chief, the City News Service, a regional news source, reported on Friday. Marroquin has been on stress leave from the department since last July 15, four days after he was demoted from sergeant to officer, the City News Service reported. Marroquin was reportedly demoted as a result of an internal investigation regarding a personnel matter, sources said. He then re-tested for a promotional exam and was given another shot at sergeant, sources within the department said. Shortly after, Marroquin was placed on administrative leave for allegedly using excessive force, sources said. Sources say Marroquin has worked about a month for the department in the past three years. Marroquin claims he was subjected to “retaliatory acts” for coming forward with his allegations. In his claim, Marroquin alleges that Chief Butts has “rewarded, protected and promoted rogue officers” and hired officers “whose sole duty was to play on the Santa Monica Police Department’s basketball team.” He claims he has suffered emotional, psychological and financial damage. “This is just the tip of a great deal of corruption and misconduct,” Marroquin is quoted by the City News Service. Attorney Timothy Vrastil, who is representing Marroquin, also filed a lawsuit on behalf of John Biel this past summer alleging similar charges against the SMPD. Biel accuses Butts and other high-ranking officers of violating racketeering statutes. The lawsuit has been dismissed twice before as having no legal basis. The 46-page complaint chronicles alleged abuses of power by the police department since 1991, when Butts was hired as chief. Biel is suing the city and eight high-ranking officers — including Butts — for conspiring to damage his career. The newly amended lawsuit alleges Biel was terminated and later reinstated, only to be denied overtime pay and subjected to other “harassing activity,” which Biel alleges resulted in his developing a disabling case of high blood pressure and forced him to leave the department in 2001. Biel states in his lawsuit that Butts, along with some of the department’s senior officers, conspired to create a stressful working environment for him to allegedly make him more obedient in an internal affairs investigation looking into questionable overtime practices. Biel’s original lawsuit, filed in Beverly Hills Superior Court on Jan. 9, 2001 by the police officers union, said the termination violated Biel’s First Amendment rights. However, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Hart Cole threw out the suit this past June for having no legal basis. Judge Cole allowed Vrastil to re-file the lawsuit with new claims that are better supported by Biel’s arguments. Deputy City Attorney Barbara Greenstein and Vrastil could not be reached for comment. As a matter of policy, the SMPD doesn’t comment on pending litigation. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 13, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/011303.pdf?ref=smdp.com)