A former Antioch police officer, Morteza Amiri, has been found guilty by a federal jury of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsification of records. The verdict was reached after an eight-day trial overseen by Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White.
Morteza Amiri, 33, previously served as a K-9 handler with the Antioch Police Department. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Amiri deployed his K-9 unit to bite suspects unnecessarily and kept a "bite count" which he shared with fellow officers. He also took photographs of dog bites and shared them via text messages, stating “gory pics are for personal stuff” and “cleaned up pics for the case.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins commented on the case, stating, “Morteza Amiri violated the oath he swore to protect the people of Antioch... This appalling conduct erodes public trust in law enforcement."
FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani added, “Today’s guilty verdict against Morteza Amiri sends a clear message: no one is above the law, especially those sworn to uphold it."
The trial highlighted an incident from July 24, 2019, where Amiri stopped a bicyclist identified as A.A., allegedly for not having a bicycle light on. Amiri assaulted A.A., then called his K-9 to bite him while accompanied by another officer from a neighboring agency who assisted in deploying the K-9. Following this incident, Amiri shared photos of A.A.'s wounds with other officers.
Amiri later falsified reports regarding this incident, claiming he was alone when deploying his K-9 despite being accompanied by another officer.
Amiri faces up to 10 years in prison for deprivation of rights under color of law and up to 20 years for falsification of records. His sentencing is scheduled for June 3, 2025.
The charges were part of a broader investigation into the Antioch and Pittsburgh police departments leading to multiple charges against ten current and former officers.
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