DENVER — Two Denver police officers – a father and son – have been arrested on suspicion of felony theft amid allegations that they billed a private business for off-duty hours that they didn’t actually work, authorities said.
According to The Denver Gazette, Denver police announced that the officers, 50-year-old Michael Pineda and 26-year-old Santana Pineda, were taken into custody Tuesday following an internal investigation that began when authorities learned the men did not appear at their off-duty job on April 15.
“Investigators spent countless hours reviewing surveillance video provided by the private employer against the officers’ timesheets and discovered 23 shift discrepancies for Michael Pineda valued at $5,070 and 18 shift discrepancies for Santana Pineda valued at $3,751.50 for work that was not completed,” the department wrote in a news release, adding that even though the officers began working for the business in October 2021, the videos used by investigators only went back to Feb. 28, 2022.
The elder Pineda, who joined the department in 2004, and his son, who has been on the force since 2019, were initially put on paid administrative leave in July when the internal probe indicated they may have violated the law, the release said. After the arrest, they were placed on unpaid leave, the department said.
“The Denver Police Department takes seriously any allegation of misconduct by officers, whether the complaint is initiated internally or externally, and has a robust disciplinary process which includes the Denver Department of Safety and the Office of the Independent monitor, a civilian oversight agency,” the release said. “When the evidence obtained through an Internal Affairs investigation indicates a possible law violation, such as in this case, the findings are presented to the Denver District Attorney’s Office for determination as to whether or not criminal charges are appropriate.”
If convicted, the men will be banned from working as police officers in Colorado because the charge is a felony, according to the department.
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