Robert Sanchez fraudulently received over $16,000 for overtime he didn’t work
OAKLAND, CA — The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office announces that former San Leandro Police Sgt. Robert Frank Sanchez was sentenced Sept. 1, 2021 to two years of felony probation, 240 hours of community service and ordered to pay a maximum of $46,815.88 in restitution stemming from grand theft from the police department.
In 2019 and 2020, the defendant held the position of Professional Standards Administrative Sergeant, where he managed San Leandro Police Department’s timekeeping and payroll systems. By using his administrative privileges and the trust placed in him in this role, the defendant approved personal overtime for time he did not work. He also added his unauthorized overtime and compensatory time hours directly into the payroll system, and edited the payroll systems to credit back vacation, sick and compensatory time already used.
The case was referred to our office in April 2020 by San Leandro Police after concerns were raised internally that the defendant claimed overtime in March 2020 that he had not worked.
The DA Inspector investigation discovered that between August 2019 and March 2020, the defendant had claimed overtime and compensatory time while not working, including while on family trips or vacation, and in other instances erased vacation, sick and compensatory time he had taken. The total loss due to fraud was determined to be $16,702.88, which has been repaid by the defendant to the city.
The defendant pled no contest to felony grand theft in June in a negotiated disposition.
The remainder of the restitution includes San Leandro City attorney fees. In addition, he will repay the cost of an ongoing, independent audit, for an amount not to exceed $27,940. So far, the defendant has paid over $12,000.
### Contact: Public Information Officer Angela Ruggiero // Angela.Ruggiero@acgov.org // (510) 919-0081
Posted on Sep 2, 2021