A former Torrance police officer agreed Tuesday to plead guilty to selling dozens of guns illegally while on the force.
Lindley Hupp, 42, of Long Beach, agreed to plead to dealing in firearms without a federal license and falsely certifying that he was the buyer for a Glock handgun that actually was intended for someone else.
Prosecutors said Hupp sold at least 48 firearms during an 8 1/2-year period while working with the Torrance Police Department and another two in 2011 when he was an auxiliary officer with the Pasadena police force.
Law enforcement officers are permitted to buy what are termed “off roster” guns that people without a badge can’t buy directly from a licensed dealer. Thirty-six of the 48 guns Hupp sold were “off roster” arms, federal prosecutors said.
Hupp could face up to 15 years in prison but prosecutors agreed to recommend no more than 18 months, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.
A Pasadena police lieutenant who acknowledged selling more than 100 guns was convicted of similar charges last year.