Veteran Officer Filed 34 Time Cards Falsely Claiming He Worked Overtime He Never Worked
Santa Ana, Calif. – A veteran Irvine Police Officer has been charged with 36 felonies for stealing more than $68,000 in state grant funds by submitting time cards falsely claiming he worked overtime that he never worked.
Matthew Christian August, 47, of Aliso Viejo, has been charged with 34 felony counts of presenting a false claim and two felony counts of grand theft by an employee.
He is facing a maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison if convicted on all counts.
August joined the Irvine Police Department in November 2005. As a traffic sergeant, August authored the Irvine Police Department’s annual grant application from California’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which funds law enforcement operations directed at improving traffic safety. August also coordinated filling OTS grant shifts.
Between February 25, 2017 and October 19, 2018, August filed 34 timecards requesting pay for overtime shifts that he never worked.
The Irvine Police Department initiated an internal investigation in 2018 after inconsistencies in August’s work activity failed to match the overtime hours he reported on his time card. Police referred the case to the District Attorney’s Office for further investigation and prosecution.
“Stealing precious taxpayer dollars while wearing the badge only tarnishes that badge, and casts an unwanted shadow over the hundreds of thousands of hard-working law enforcement men and women across the United States who want nothing more than to serve their communities ethically and justly,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
Deputy District Attorney Steven Schriver is prosecuting this case.