Ex-Santa Clara County undersheriff pleads guilty in weapons case

Eight years of investigation and prosecutions in a bribery scandal involving the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office approving concealed weapons permits came to an end this month, with a guilty plea by the department’s former second-in-command.

Rick Sung, who served as undersheriff, pleaded guilty on Sept. 21 to two felonies involving incidents from 2017 to 2019 — when the sheriff’s office pressured Apple’s security team to donate 200 iPads in exchange for permits and pushed a local insurance executive to provide tickets to a luxury suite at a San Jose Sharks game.

“My office enforces the law without fear or favor,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “Law enforcement in Santa Clara County must be equally determined to be incorruptible as it is determined to protect our community.”

Sung, 54, agreed to complete 400 hours of community service and never again serve as a law enforcement officer in California. After six months of probation and completing community service, the guilty plea will be set aside and the case will be dismissed.

The plea agreement, which one of Sung’s attorneys said originated with the District Attorney’s Office, came shortly before Sung faced a second trial on bribery charges, following a mistrial last year when the jury couldn’t agree on a verdict.

“Prosecutors tried this case once and did not win a conviction,” attorney Tamara Crepet told San José Spotlight. “Before a second trial, they offered Mr. Sung a deal that guaranteed no custody time and ultimately a dismissal of his criminal case. That offer speaks for itself. With an offer like that, Mr. Sung chose to put his family first. They had already been through enough.”

Crepet said Sung retired several years ago and is now “focused on his family and looks forward to finding new ways to serve the community he worked for over 20 years.”

Margaret Petros, a local advocate for crime victims, has known Sung for 20 years. She said the District Attorney’s Office originated the plea deal, because — in Petros’ view — prosecutors realized they had a weak case.

“We know from experience how District Attorney Jeff Rosen abuses his powers,” Petros, who noted she was speaking on her own behalf rather than for the organization she heads, Mothers Against Murder, told San José Spotlight. “He retaliates against anyone who speaks up against him. He finds a way.”

A spokesperson for Rosen declined to confirm if the settlement came from the DA’s office.

While the long-running scandal led to six prosecutions, only one person — former Capt. James Jensen — served any jail time after receiving a 10-month sentence in 2024.

The DA’s investigation began in late 2018, shortly after longtime Sheriff Laurie Smith won a reelection campaign. Smith and other top officials were alleged to have demanded favors in exchange for granting hard-to-get permits to carry concealed weapons, also known as CCW licenses.

Smith resigned in October 2022 after 24 years on the job, just three days before a civil grand jury found her guilty on six charges of corruption and willful misconduct. Smith did not face any prison time, as it wasn’t a criminal trial.

Smith promoted Sung to undersheriff in July 2018 and, according to a July 10 court filing by the DA, was “essentially her campaign manager” that year and “actively solicited endorsements and contributions.”

The DA alleged Sung deliberately held up approval of CCW licenses for the Apple security detail protecting then-CEO Tim Cook and for insurance executive Harpreet Chadha until they did favors for the sheriff.

When Sung first learned of the investigation in August 2019, the DA added, he “reset his personal cell phone to factory settings, effectively permanently deleting its contents,” apparently to remove compromising text messages.

Sung is scheduled to appear in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Oct. 19 for sentencing.

“The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the court proceeding involving a former undersheriff and conduct dating back eight years,” a department spokesperson told San José Spotlight. “Our responsibility today is to continue serving our community with integrity, professionalism and accountability. We remain committed to earning the confidence of the community we serve and strengthening public trust in the sheriff’s office.”

Contact Mike Langberg at [email protected].