Overtime Fraud Allegations Hit Police Department

Опубликовано: 02 Апрель 2025
на канале: Siyclone

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VIDEO POSTED COURTESY OF MYFOXDC

By PAUL WAGNER/myfoxdc

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Justice is looking into allegations that more than 20 D.C. Police officers have been fraudulently obtaining overtime, signing into court for cases not on the schedule.

Some have been accused of forging documents. So far, two D.C. Police detectives have been placed on leave in connection with the probe.

The investigation began in the spring when a D.C. Police Inspector began noticing what he viewed as dubious claims: officers signing into court when the case was not on the docket, as well as officers signing out of court hours after their cases had been heard.

Fraud allegations include a claim by two assistant U.S. Attorneys that their signatures were forged on court overtime documents.

In order to receive overtime pay, officers checking into and out of court must have a document signed by the prosecutor assigned to the case. In a complaint written by Inspector Hilton Burton and obtained by FOX 5, Burton claims well over a dozen detectives and officers have been claiming overtime they may not deserve. More specifically, Burton writes to the Inspector General:

"If a member is checked into court for a trial and there is not a trial, the question still remains as to what the member is doing during the time they are paid overtime while checked into court. I surmise that at best the members were performing administrative duties for the attorneys and at worst leaving and going home."

Burton points out that earning overtime pay for administrative duties is against the general orders of the Metropolitan Police Department. Burton alerted the Inspector General out of frustration. Internal affairs, he said, did not seem interested in investigating what hed found.

But there are more serious charges than that. Law enforcement sources say prosecutors Deborah Sines and Amanda Haines, two assistant U.S. Attorneys who routinely handle some of the District's more notorious murder cases, have told investigators their signatures were forged on court overtime documents.

No one would comment on the record. However, at-large D.C. City Councilmember Phil Mendelson singled Chief Cathy Lanier out for praise in reducing overtime.

"Anytime there is an allegation that money has been misused, you need somebody from the outside to look at the truth of the matter, so I'm pleased about that," said Mendelson.

In the complaint, two detectives are singled out for questionable overtime. It reads:

"On March 3, 2009, this investigating official reported to Inspector Burton that (the court tracking computer system) revealed that Detectives Elbert Griffin and Brett Smith had checked into court on a (2003 felony case) on Friday, February 27, 2009 and that this case did not appear on the court calendar. Additionally, the Inspector was advised there were at least 3 additional dates wherein these detectives checked in (on the case) and the matter did not appear on the court calendar."

So far, those two detectives are the only officers who have had their police powers revoked. They are both on paid administrative leave.

Detective Smiths attorney declined to comment, and Detective Griffin did not respond to an emailed request for an interview.