San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced former Richmond Police Sergeant Phillip Sanchez has been sentenced to two years of felony formal probation in connection to violating the terms of his Deferred Entry of Judgement (DEJ) grant for a 2021 guilty plea. In 2021 Mr. Sanchez pled guilty to a felony vandalism charge in connection to an incident at the San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel in 2017, where he was arrested by members of the San Francisco Police Department for discharging a firearm multiple times, while intoxicated, and causing $3,368 in damages.
“I am thankful that no one was hurt as a result of Mr. Sanchez’ dangerous behavior,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “Recklessly discharging his weapon put lives in danger and undermined the public’s trust in law enforcement whose basic responsibility is to ensure public safety. This sentence sends a message that law enforcement officers who violate the law will be held accountable.”
Mr. Sanchez’ felony probation will be supervised by the State of Oregon where he currently resides. As of May 3, 2023, 18 firearms registered to Mr. Sanchez were unaccounted for and must be relinquished as part of the conviction for his felony. Failure to do so would result in the violation of his felony probation terms and may result in a prison sentence. He must also stay away from the Four Seasons Hotel on Market Street located at 757 Market Street where the original crime took place.
The previous administration authorized a 12-month DEJ grant for Mr. Sanchez on December 15, 2021. The DEJ required Sanchez to complete therapy, abstain from alcohol and opioids, stay away from the location where the original offense took place, pay restitution to the victim, and obey all laws. Had he successfully completed his DEJ, he would have only been convicted of a misdemeanor charge.
Mr. Sanchez was arrested on December 9, 2022, by Stayton Police in Stayton, Oregon for unlawful possession of a concealed firearm in a bar, in clear violation of his DEJ grant and is facing criminal prosecution in Oregon. Mr. Sanchez is facing criminal charges in Oregon for unlawful possession of a firearm. When arrested he produced two police badges, one of which said “Marshall” and “AZ” and claimed to be a retired Richmond officer. Sanchez falsely represented that he was retired from the department, when in fact he was terminated. Sanchez’ firearm was seized at the time of his arrest by Stayton police.
The case against Mr. Sanchez was successfully brought to a close by Assistant District Attorney Darby Williams with assistance from DA Inspectors in the Independent Investigations Bureau who acted on information shared by the Department of Police Accountability regarding the out-of-jurisdiction criminal arrest of Mr. Sanchez.
“Mr. Sanchez is being held accountable for his crimes that put lives in danger and for failure to abide by the court’s order,” said Assistant District Attorney Darby Williams. “Law enforcement officers must abide by the same rules as everyone else and face consequences for reckless and dangerous behavior that is criminal. I am grateful to our law enforcement partnerships who all worked together to ensure there is accountability in this case.”
Court Number: 17018651
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