November 23, 2010
Orange County District Attorney's Office
SANTA ANA - A transient man was sentenced today to two years in state prison for mailing death threats to Santa Ana police officers. Tony Diep, 47, Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to the court to one felony count of sending a threatening extortion letter, two felony counts of resisting and deterring an executive officer, one felony count of criminal threats, and one misdemeanor count of criminal threats. As part of the court's offer, one of Diep's felony counts of criminal threats was reduced to a misdemeanor, allowing the defendant to plead guilty to one strike instead of two strikes.
On July 30, 2008, feces were spread on the outside wall of the Santa Ana Public Library. That morning, Diep left a threatening letter addressed to the persons in charge of the library and the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) in the book-drop box complaining about the Santa Ana police officer who provided security for the library, stating that the library would be vandalized 50 times worse if the Santa Ana officer was not removed.
On April 15, 2009, Diep sent a letter to the Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters, threatening to kill the police officer stationed at the Santa Ana Public Library. He had detailed knowledge of the officer's work hours and stated that he had purchased guns and bullets.
On Feb. 17, 2010, Diep sent a letter to SAPD Chief Walters threatening to kill any police officer he sees between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. in the Santa Ana Civic Center Plaza. He stated that it would be easy to kill any officer and specifically mentioned two SAPD officers. The defendant signed all three letters with a Hispanic sounding name.
The defendant was linked to the letters by the Orange County Crime Lab who analyzed the defendant's DNA sample.
Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon of the Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted this case.
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