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"A former Pacific Grove police commander who retired last year with glowing reviews from his police chief pleaded guilty on Thursday for making death threats, burglary, and being an accessory to crimes.Prosecutors said during a rant to his wife, John Nyunt also threatened to kill his fellow police officers and Monterey County District Attorney investigators by shooting them with an assault rifle. He also told his then-wife, 38-year-old\u00A0Kristin Nyunt of Capitola, that he would slit her throat if she talked to investigators.\"When Nyunt's wife threatened to reveal to the District Attorney's Office John's involvement, John phoned her and threatened to slit her throat during a conversation that she taped. During his enraged rant he threatened to take an assault weapon and kill several district attorney investigators. Nyunt also proclaimed, 'Yeah, I'm gonna start killing my (expletive) people first,' presumably referring to Pacific Grove police officers,\" prosecutor Steve Somers said.After John Nyunt pleaded guilty, a\u00A0Monterey County judge sentenced him to serve three years in a state prison.\"I take full responsibility for my actions,\" John Nyunt, 51, said in court Thursday.\u00A0\"The last few years of my life had much turmoil. I thought at some point I would be able to control that turmoil unfortunately I was unable to do so.\"John Nyunt retired in November 2013 because of medical reasons, Pacific Grove-Seaside Police Chief Vicki Myers said. On Nov. 13, Myers sent out a press release describing the greatness of John Nyunt\u2019s career chasing after criminals.\u201CNyunt established himself as a dynamic leader and manager. Known for his ready smile and infectious humor, John developed and trained numerous officers,\u201D Myers wrote. \u201CWe are indebted to Commander Nyunt for his vision, innovation, dedication, and commitment to his chosen profession and to the communities he served.\"But\u00A0Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo had a much different vision of the retiring police officer.John Nyunt embezzled police property for his own use, including cell phones, a camera, and an assault rifle,\u00A0Flippo said.\"District Attorney investigators reviewed tens of thousands of emails and text messages and reams of financial documents,\"\u00A0Somers said.\u00A0\"The investigation demonstrated that John Nyunt knew his wife was committing criminal identity theft. Despite that knowledge, he systematically ordered subordinates in the Pacific Grove Police Department to close investigations in which she was the prime suspect. Also to protect his wife, he lied to victims by telling them that investigations were ongoing which, in fact, he had closed. He provided his wife with computer access to secure police email as well as online police databases which she used to acquire sensitive personal identifying information of potential victims including social security numbers, addresses, and bank account numbers.\"\"His wife allegedly used the information to commit dozens of identity thefts. The victims included John Nyunt\u2019s son, his ex-wife, other police officers, and citizens throughout the state and country,\"\u00A0Somers said.Also on Thursday, United States Attorney Melinda Haag filed more charges against John Nyunt for extortion and wire fraud that will likely put the former cop in a federal prison for two more years.Kristin Nyunt was arrested by Capitola police in\u00A02012, when she was charged with 43 counts of identity theft,\u00A0burglary, and fraud. Somers said the death threats were made just before Kristin Nyunt was arrested by Capitola police. At the time,\u00A0John Nyunt was still a Pacific Grove police commander and he was still married.When asked if she was surprised by John Nyunt's guilty plea,\u00A0Police Chief\u00A0Vicki\u00A0Myers told KSBW that she was not.\"I believe in the criminal justice system and it worked. While this is a very sad ending to a law enforcement career, it's important to know when police officers go rogue, they will be brought to justice,\"\u00A0Myers said.\u00A0John Nyunt's career in law enforcement began with the Carmel Police Department in 1991. He became a deputy for the Monterey County Sheriff in 1999, and was hired by the Pacific Grove Police Department in 2007.His defense attorney, Juliett Peck, said his life changed for the worse when he met and married Kristin.\u00A0\"He fell in love with a woman who was a compulsive criminal,\" Peck said Thursday. \"Kristin\u2019s criminal conduct toxicity splashed onto John, and unfortunately, that line between being a husband and being a cop was blurred. John knows he has criminal culpability and is taking complete responsibility.\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.ksbw.com/article/da-ex-pacific-grove-cop-threatened-to-kill-wife-police-officers-investigators/1054029>