Former Santa Clara County Undersheriff Pleads Guilty in CCW Bribery Scandal

Former Santa Clara County Undersheriff Rick Sung has pleaded guilty to two felony bribery solicitation charges stemming from the county's long-running concealed carry permit scandal. Under the plea agreement, Sung will surrender his California peace officer certification, complete 400 hours of community service and serve two years of probation.

The case centered on how concealed carry permits were handled under Santa Clara County's former discretionary licensing system. According to a California appellate court opinion, the Sheriff's Office rarely issued CCW licenses during the period in question, and applications often were not processed unless someone with authority specifically directed them to move forward. Sung had the authority to advance applications or place them on hold.

One of the bribery counts involved members of Apple's executive protection team, who were seeking CCW permits. Court records described discussions involving political support for then-Sheriff Laurie Smith and a proposed donation of 200 iPads valued between approximately $50,000 and $80,000. Apple's security personnel were later told they could pick up their permits, while the proposed donation was stopped after the criminal investigation became public. Apple security chief Thomas Moyer was subsequently acquitted, while Sung's guilty plea includes a count connected to the iPad matter.

The second count involved a businessman whose signed CCW renewal had been placed on hold. According to the appellate record, he later provided access to a luxury suite at the SAP Center for an event involving Sheriff Smith and received his CCW permit the same day.

The scandal occurred under California's former "may issue" concealed carry system, which gave local officials significant discretion over whether applicants demonstrated sufficient "good cause" to receive a permit. The Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen subsequently rejected a comparable discretionary requirement in New York and affirmed the right of ordinary citizens to carry handguns publicly for self-defense.

The Santa Clara County case provides a significant example of the problems that can arise when government officials have broad discretion over access to concealed carry permits. It also underscores the importance of objective standards, transparency and equal treatment when states administer licensing systems involving constitutional rights.