The former Los Angeles police officer was arrested on suspicion of involvement in a series of robberies in the San Fernando Valley district, according to department sources and prison records.
Online prison records show that Eric Harlem, 37, was arrested Thursday afternoon by a member of the LAPD robbery and is being held without bail. He is scheduled to be arrested Monday. It is unclear if he holds a defense attorney.
Details about the alleged crime are vague, but sources from several departments that requested anonymity to discuss open cases say they are suspected of linking to a home invasion that took place in the West Valley division where Harem worked several years ago. LAPD did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
West Valley includes Ennino, a wealthy area on the edge, following a series of home break-ins, including the deaths of “American Idol” music director Robin Kay and her rock musician husband Tom Delca. The case rekindled safety concerns in the area and led the LAPD to step up patrols. The suspect with a history of mental illness has been charged with murder of a couple.
Halem resigned from LAPD and chose to participate in the division’s reserve officers program in 2022.
During his career at LAPD, he named himself in side business as a security consultant and by renting luxury cars from music artists and celebrities.
In 2019 he was hired to provide security to action film producer Randall Emmett. Emmett was the subject of 2022 investigations and subsequent Hulu documentaries that surfaced allegations of abuse against women and assistants, as well as abuse of assistants and business partners. Emmett denied the allegation.
Around the same time, Harem played a small role in television shows such as “The Vanderpump Rules” and “Midnight in Switchgrass.”
Earlier this year, he and his brother were charged with insurance fraud against what prosecutors allegedly claimed was an elaborate insurance fraud scheme related to the January 2023 Bentley crash crash. Court records show that the LAPD Interior Inspector was considering a similar allegation against Harem near the end of his department’s career.
Harem pleaded not guilty to two felony insurance fraud on Friday. His brother, Jacob Harlem, 32, also pleaded not guilty to the count of insurance fraud.
Eric Harlem ran several car rental companies in Caple and Drive LA, boasting rare and luxurious vehicles, including the 2020 Bentley Continental GT and the Neon Green Lamborghini Urus.
Prosecutors told his insurance company that Harem told his brother had borrowed a Bentley and crashed it on January 5, 2023.
However, a police investigation revealed that Bentley was rented by a Drive LA client who destroyed it three days ago. After a rental driver’s license claim was denied due to lack of proper coverage, authorities allegedly filed a fraudulent claim of more than $200,000 with his insurance company about his personal policies, and misrepresented details of the accident.
Harem was stripped of reserve police authority in March after the criminal case against him was announced.
Halem is part of the World War II date and is the LAPD appointment program that now reserves figures for the 300s, and its membership over the years includes not only OneTime Cops, but also ER Doctors and former City Council members. Reserve officers are eligible to carry, arrest, and report guns. Essentially, you can perform most traditional police duties, but have not been paid.
The department’s roster shows that he joined the military in February 2009.
Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.
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