Police detective pleads not guilty to bribery, perjury

Charges are tied to his handling of a 2011 homicide investigation

Homicide detective Phong Tran pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to perjury and other felony charges connected to his handling of a 2011 homicide investigation, a day after he was arrested and booked at Santa Rita Jail.

At an arraignment hearing Wednesday morning in Oakland, Judge James Cramer set the 45-year-old Oakland police officer's bail at $95,000. He posted the bail and was released from custody about 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Tran, who initially was booked on a no-bail arrest warrant, faces five felony counts including two counts of perjury and charges of bribery of a witness, attempted bribery of a witness and subornation of perjury under oath.

The crimes he is suspected of range from 2012 to 2016 and stem from a 2011 murder the longtime Oakland detective investigated. Tran is accused of paying a key witness — who as an informant helped him with other cases — to testify against two defendants and of committing perjury by saying on the stand that he she was not “paid a dime.”

The witness later recanted her testimony and the defendants were freed from jail.

Judge Cramer on Wednesday set conditions for Tran's bail, including that he turn over his passport, not leave the state without court permission and have no contact with anyone connected to the murder case or his pending case.

The judge denied a request from Deputy District Attorney Zachary Linowitz that Tran not be allowed to possess any dangerous weapons including firearms. A preliminary hearing date was set for May 31.

Tran was arraigned wearing a red jail jumpsuit, while members of the Oakland Police Department and police union were in the courtroom gallery to support the officer. The only words Tran spoke were to plead not guilty and acknowledge the bail terms set by the judge.

His attorney, Andrew Ganz, declined to comment outside of court. But on Tuesday, Ganz said the DA's Office was prosecuting Tran “for having the audacity to investigate, arrest and bring to justice the killers

who terrorize Oakland.”

“These charges are baseless and should gravely concern every Alameda County resident that desires a truly equitable criminal justice system,” Ganz said.

After the hearing, Linowitz called Tran's actions “a violation of the public trust.” The District Attorney's Office said it will review at least 125

cases that involve Tran.

“Tran would be held accountable just like any other person in Alameda County who did such an egregious act,” Linowitz said.

The Oakland Police Department has placed Tran on administrative leave, law enforcement sources told Bay Area News Group on Tuesday.