LOS ANGELES - State officials will launch a thorough investigation into off-duty employment of all state workers here after three parole agents were found to be part of rapper Snoop Dogg's armed entourage at the BET Awards.
The three state parole agents were placed on administrative leave Wednesday, authorities said. While the state Corrections Department does not have a specific policy barring outside employment connected to people with criminal records, parole agents are required to tell their bosses about who they work for and if there is any knowledge of criminal conduct.
Russ Heimerich, a spokesman for the state agency, said one of the agents involved in Tuesday's incident ran a security firm in his off time that had "a number of clients, including Broadus."
Authorities stopped Snoop Dogg's armored procession outside the awards show and arrested three of the rapper's bodyguards. An Inglewood reserve school police officer who also was working as a Snoop Dogg bodyguard surrendered to police Wednesday on weapons allegations related to the incident. Marcus Thompson, 35, was placed on leave by school district officials.
Snoop Dogg, whose given name is Calvin Broadus, was not detained. Broadus, 31, was convicted in 1990 of possession of cocaine for sale. Under federal law, it is illegal for a felon to possess guns or ammunition. It also is against the law for someone knowingly employed by a felon to carry a gun or ammunition.
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The charges carry a penalty of one to 10 years in federal prison.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was investigating the weapons charges and may present a case for federal prosecution.
Broadus is known to be heavily guarded when he travels publicly. In April, one of his bodyguards was slightly wounded when an unknown gunman in a car fired at his convoy of six cars as it rolled through Los Angeles.
