Hearing held over for ex-Rohnert Park officer accused of extortion

The federal court case for Joseph Huffaker, a former Rohnert Park police officer accused of shaking down drivers on Highway 101 for cash, pot and property without documentation, has been continued to March 29.

A brief hearing in the case was held Wednesday before Judge Maxine Chesney in Northern California District Court in San Francisco. The defense was given until Feb. 15 to file a motion for discovery — to access information and evidence the government has against Huffaker — and the government’s response is due by March 1.

Huffaker, who was employed by the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety from 2012 to 2019, was indicted in 2021 on federal charges of conspiracy to commit extortion and extortion under color of law.

Neither his San Francisco attorney, Christopher Shea, nor Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Frey could be reached for comment Friday.

A former Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety sergeant, Brendan “Jacy” Tatum, pleaded guilty Dec. 1, 2021, to federal extortion charges in his role as a peace officer, falsifying police reports and tax evasion. He was indicted in September 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced April 26.

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates at 707-521-5209 or kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com.