Stealing out of your job is a giant no-no. Collaborating with coworkers in a scheme to steal additional time pay is even worse. For most individuals, getting caught would contain you dropping that job, with the potential of being fined the quantity you stole, and maybe even jail time. Apparently, if you happen to’re a cop, issues are completely different. As Southern California information outlet The Daily Bulletin reports, felony fees in opposition to 48 California Freeway Patrol Officers have been dropped after they had been accused of taking part in a large additional time fraud scheme.
From 2016 to 2018, greater than 50 officers on the CHP’s East L.A. station allegedly participated in a scheme to steal taxpayer cash by padding their hours. The officers allegedly lied in regards to the period of time they had been on freeway cleanup element. An investigation launched in 2019 discovered that the group obtained greater than $360,000 in fraudulent additional time pay — which comes out of the Motor Vehicle Fund, sustained by California car registration charges — and that even some supervisors had been conscious of the coordinated fraud.
The instances lastly went to a state superior courtroom the place fees in opposition to practically all the accused officers had been dismissed. L.A. County superior courtroom choose Ronald Coen gave the officers a candy plea deal: the fees had been dropped from felonies to misdemeanors, and could be dismissed solely if the accused cops agreed to pay again what was stolen. In complete, 52 accused CHP officers agreed to the phrases, 48 of whom had already paid again the cash and happy the phrases of the settlement earlier than the December eighth deadline. Two officers didn’t take the deal. They’ll have a listening to scheduled at a later date.
The workplace of California Lawyer Common Bob Bonta objected to the courtroom’s deal. So how precisely did the officers get off on one thing that, in every other scenario, would certainly be prosecuted? Apparently, the officers’ protection tactic was to declare that what they did was regular. In courtroom paperwork obtained by The Sacramento Bee, officers alleged that what they did was widespread observe and had been occurring for over 20 years. In accordance with the paperwork, officers routinely misrepresent the period of time they work, generally going as far as to go off-duty hours earlier than their shifts finish. Because the Sacramento Bee studies, these officers claimed this conduct was all supported by supervisors and written division coverage. The accused officers claimed they had been being “singled out” as a result of two officers filed a labor grievance when additional time guidelines had been modified.
The argument doesn’t appear to carry up, as a result of in recent times the division has fired officers for misrepresenting additional time hours. CHP gained’t verify precisely what number of officers have been fired, however case files from 2021 show that 86 officers had been investigated for additional time violations, 42 of whom had been fired. Of the officers whose fees had been dismissed, it appears what actually assist their case was exhibiting that the observe of working fewer hours however nonetheless getting paid for a full shift was widespread amongst police departments statewide. From The Bee:
The courtroom paperwork declare CHP officers are routinely paid for unworked hours everywhere in the state in a wide range of assignments, together with dignitary and parade safety assignments that had been labored by among the division’s highest-ranking officers.
4 retired CHP officers stated in a July 7 courtroom doc that it’s widespread to work lower than a full shift and obtain full pay.
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The CHP declined to touch upon the case or the additional time actions.
