Former Baldwin Park cop likely headed to prison

Dave Gunderson, a former member of the Baldwin Park Police Department, is probably headed to state prison after his conviction on several firearm related charges.

From The Eureka Times-Standard:

Former Blue Lake Police Chief David Gundersen faces a state prison sentence of up to three years and eight months for the illegal possession of a submachine gun and a pistol with a silencer, charges a jury convicted him of on Wednesday.

Gundersen will also be sentenced for 11 charges of battery, each of which carry a maximum six month county jail term or a fine of $2,000, or both. He originally faced 24 counts of spousal rape with the use of intoxicant, which carried far longer sentences that might have totaled 72 to 192 years in prison.

The felony firearms convictions effectively end Gundersen's career as a law enforcement officer, and the misdemeanor battery convictions make would make it illegal for Gundersen to possess firearms.

Gundersen was found not guilty of attempting to dissuade the victim of a crime, but guilty of violating a court order. He will be sentenced on Oct. 22.

On Tuesday, the jury sent a note to Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson shortly before 2 p.m. announcing that it had arrived at a verdict. Since one juror had to leave early, the judge postponed the reading of the verdict until this morning.