BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Two Louisiana sheriff’s deputies face charges for allegedly participating in a payroll fraud scheme.
The East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s office said Michael Arthur, 27, and Andre Weber, 25, were arrested on charges of theft and malfeasance in office and fired on Monday, news outlets reported.
“Both men are suspected of fraudulently receiving payment for security work as well as receiving payment for off-duty security work while simultaneously on-duty for the Sheriff’s Office. Arthur is accused of theft of more than $5,000. Weber is accused of theft of less than $1,000,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Court documents show Arthur, a two-year veteran of the agency’s Uniform Patrol, was caught on surveillance video clocking himself and Weber, a deputy in the Uniform Patrol for the past year and a half, for a security shift at a business in East Baton Rouge Parish. Arthur was later seen on camera leaving the business without clocking out.
Both men were simultaneously working their shift at the sheriff’s office, documents show. Arthur later returned to the business to clock himself and Weber out, the records state.
It was unknown if either suspect has an attorney who could comment on their behalf.
