A former Los Angeles Police Department officer who is charged along with three other men pleaded not guilty Monday in connection with a home invasion robbery and kidnapping for ransom in Koreatown.
Eric Halem, 37, of Porter Ranch, is charged with kidnapping for ransom, first-degree residential robbery and home invasion robbery in concert, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Halem — who was charged with his brother in a separate case earlier this year with insurance fraud as a result of a collision involving a luxury vehicle — is being held without bail.
Halem and co-defendant Mishael Mann, 20, of Los Angeles, allegedly entered a Koreatown apartment early Dec. 28, 2024, handcuffed two people, transferred money from the victims’ cryptocurrency account and stole cash and jewelry before fleeing, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Mann also pleaded not guilty Monday and was also being held without bail, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Two other co-defendants Luis Banuelos, 28, of Jurupa Valley, and Pierre Louis, 26, of Attleboro, Massachusetts, are accused of serving as getaway drivers who waited outside the location, according to the District Attorney’s Office. They have also pleaded not guilty.
All four defendants — who face a potential life prison term if convicted as charged — are due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Sept. 24. A date is scheduled to be set then for a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to allow the case against them, to proceed to trial.
“Whether you once wore a badge and served in law enforcement, or not, if you take part in violent crimes, you will be held fully accountable,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan.Hochman said in a statement announcing the latest charges against Halem.
“This office will pursue justice for victims without fear or favor. We will prosecute those who use violence and intimidation to profit from the suffering of others and ensure they answer for their criminal actions.”
Halem is also awaiting a Sept. 30 court date in connection with the separate insurance fraud case.
The California Department of Insurance said it began its investigation after receiving a fraud referral alleging that Halem falsely reported that his brother, Jacob, now 33, of Tarzana, borrowed the 2020 Bentley Continental GT and was involved in a solo-vehicle crash Jan. 5, 2023.
But an investigation determined that the luxury vehicle had been rented out through Eric Halem’s exotic car rental company, Drive LA, and had been involved in a collision three days earlier, with Eric Halem allegedly filing a fraudulent claim with his insurance company on his personal policy upon learning that the rental driver’s insurance claim had been denied, according to the Department of Insurance.
Investigators discovered that damage in photos submitted in connection with the claim was identical to damage captured in body-worn camera footage from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Jan. 2, 2023, before the vehicle was impounded, and Jacob Halem allegedly provided a false statement to an insurance company investigator, according to the Department of Insurance.
The total potential loss from the allegedly fraudulent claim was more than $229,000, authorities said.
The Department of Insurance described Eric Halem as a former LAPD officer and a then-current LAPD reserve officer. The LAPD says he was removed from his position and all of his equipment was collected in March.
Jacob Halem is facing one count of insurance fraud in that case.