August 7, 2026: Prosecutors File Brief Detailing Case Against LAPD Officer Charged With Illegally Recording Colleagues

Daniel Flores is accused of illegally recording more than 100 conversations with fellow officers

LOS ANGELES - Prosecutors today filed a 26-page preliminary hearing brief that provides additional details and context about a Los Angeles police officer who has been charged with illegally recording portions of confidential conversations with 16 colleagues without their permission instead of going through the proper administrative channels when he heard racist, sexist or homophobic comments.

"A sworn Los Angeles police officer cannot use illegal means and violate the law to achieve his purpose - in this case allegedly exposing officers making deplorable, bigoted statements," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. "The law applies equally to police officers as it does to any individual in the state of California. Had Flores' goal been to expose bigotry among his co-workers, he could have proceeded through legally valid channels including the independent Office of Inspector General and LAPD's Internal Affairs Division, who ultimately conduct an administrative investigation against the 16 co-workers with potential penalties ranging from reprimand to suspension to termination. Flores was not conducting an official criminal investigation when he made the secret recordings since none of the co-workers' statements constituted criminal conduct; as such, he was not a whistleblower involving criminal conduct. Instead, Flores' objective was less altruistic, motivated as alleged by his personal desires to avoid a transfer to another department and to seek to hit the 'LAPD lottery' by suing the city and winning monetary damages.

Our office will not tolerate law enforcement officers who engage in illegal means to achieve their ends, whether those ends may be laudable like revealing bigotry or convicting dangerous drug dealers or violent gang members. Officers who commit crimes will be prosecuted as criminals - the ends do not justify the means."

District Attorney Hochman emphasized: "For those who have information about criminal conduct and want to avail themselves of whistleblower programs, providing information directly or anonymously, nothing in the Flores prosecution should chill their efforts. Such whistleblowers will be accorded their full rights under the law and are strongly encouraged to come forward to allow law enforcement to follow up on their information."

Daniel Flores (dob 9/24/82) was charged with 16 felony counts of eavesdropping on or recording confidential communications. If convicted as charged, Flores faces up to 13 years in state prison.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 10 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

During the course of 2024, Flores allegedly recorded colleagues who were responsible for determining which candidates could be hired by LAPD. Flores is accused of taking the action without the permission of those who were recorded. Some of the conversations allegedly included sexist, homophobic or racist remarks.

In the filing, which seeks to have the case assigned to a judge for a long-cause preliminary hearing that will take more than a few days, prosecutors allege that Flores often initiated the conversations, edited out many of his comments and reactions to what was being said and never objected or protested in any of the 122 recordings that captured racist, sexist or homophobic remarks made by his co-workers. In several of the conversations, Flores participated in the insensitive banter, prosecutors said.

"Defendant intentionally manipulated conversations by initiating or participating in discussions about a particular topic before activating the recording device, then ceasing his own participation once the recording began," according to the filing.

Three colleagues noted Flores made references to large monetary payouts, referring to civil lawsuits against LAPD as the "LAPD lottery." Flores also is accused of saying LAPD had "deep pockets" and wanted to make "easy money for no work."

In each of the instances, all 16 colleagues were unaware that their conversations were being recorded and did not give permission to Flores to record what was being said.

Additionally, Flores has filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles seeking monetary damages.

The case is being prosecuted by the Justice System Integrity Division and remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department's Internal Affairs Division.

The charges filed in this case are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

26CJCF04780 Brief