A Denver Police officer has admitted to a lesser charge of theft and pleaded guilty after initially being charged with felony theft— and was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $5,782 in restitution.
According to 9News, “Michael Pineda, 52, admitted to one count of theft – $1,000 to $2,000, a misdemeanor charge. As a result, a charge of felony theft – $2,000 to $5,000 was dismissed by prosecutors.”
Pineda’s admission comes after an investigation by DPD Internal Affairs revealed that he and his son, Santana Pineda, had billed the department for hours they did not work while on off-duty assignments.
“Investigators received hours of surveillance video provided by the private employer and compared it to the officer’s timesheets. DPD said they identified 23 shift discrepancies for Michael Pineda valued at $5,070 and 18 shift discrepancies for Santana Pineda valued at $3,751.50,” says the outlet.
Santana Pineda is scheduled to go to trial in February.
