The Pasadena Police Department presents a heightened Brady/Giglio concern because a former Pasadena Police lieutenant, Vasken Kenneth Gourdikian, used his sworn law-enforcement status to acquire restricted “off roster” firearms and illegally sell more than 100 firearms without a license. Federal prosecutors reported that Gourdikian sold at least 108 firearms from March 2014 through February 2017, used his peace-officer status to obtain firearms unavailable to the general public, bypassed ordinary California firearms restrictions, and made a false statement during a firearm purchase. He pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses and was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison.
For Brady List purposes, this misconduct bears directly on officer credibility, truthfulness, abuse of authority, public-corruption risk, firearms evidence integrity, and the reliability of police representations in weapon-related cases. Under Brady v. Maryland, Giglio v. United States, Napue v. Illinois, and Kyles v. Whitley, prosecutors relying on Pasadena Police Department testimony or reports should disclose all officer-specific impeachment material, firearms-related misconduct records, internal-affairs findings, criminal charging and plea records, disciplinary records, and affected-case reviews. Until that showing is made, Pasadena Police Department evidence involving firearms, searches, seizures, probable-cause statements, or officer-authored reports should receive heightened credibility scrutiny.
