Orlando officer faces grand theft charge after being accused of logging hours she didn't work

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando police officer faces a charge of grand theft after she allegedly logged 148 hours that she didn’t work, according to her arrest report.

With a pay rate just shy of $30 an hour, police said officer Laurin Gantt was paid a little more than $4,400 for work they said she never did.

Last January, Gantt was part of the crisis intervention team.

The department honored her as the 2016 crisis intervention team officer of the year for convincing a 72-year-old woman who threatened to kill herself to come out of her home and seek help.

One year later, Gantt was arrested for allegedly stealing from her own department.

According to the charging affidavit, Gantt was on alternative duty for personal reasons.

She was assigned to what’s called the Iris Room, where Orlando police personnel watch iris cameras placed all over downtown looking for crime.

The report said Gantt was assigned to the cameras from June to August 2017, but a supervisor became suspicious of some of the hours clocked by the officer.

Investigators checked Gantt’s access card, Sunpass and cell phone records and found that her time sheet had discrepancies.

The Orlando Police Department released the folllowing statement:

On 1/12/2018, Officer Laurin Gantt was arrested on an outstanding Scheme to Defraud, Grand Theft warrant. She is assigned to the patrol division and is currently relieved of duty with pay, as per standard procedure. There is an active internal investigation and no further information is available until the conclusion that investigation. Officer Gantt was hired on 4/09/2012.

Cox Media Group