Feds: 2 Oakland police officers faked helicopter pilot certifications
OPD chief addresses federal charges against 2 officers
Two Oakland police officers were charged with faking their helicopter pilot certifications, prompting the police chief on Thursday to post a message on Instagram, saying he is working with federal authorities to cooperate with the case.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Two Oakland police officers allegedly faked some FAA helicopter pilot certifications, prompting the police chief on Thursday to post a message on Instagram, saying he is working with federal authorities to cooperate with the case.
Chief takes allegations seriously
What they're saying:
"I want my community to know I take the allegations very seriously," Police Chief James Beere said in a pre-recorded video.
He also said the officers in question were placed on leave and that officers in general should be held to a "higher standard."
Beere did not identify the officers, citing personnel issues.
FAA registration fraud
What we know:
But the Bay Area News Group first reported that David Mac and Brandon Mart, both in OPD’s Air Support Unit, were charged and then pleaded not guilty on Thursday to several federal charges.
MIchael Rains, an attorney representing Mart said Friday that he could not comment because he was awaiting discovery, or evidence, from prosecutors. An attorney for Mac did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Mart faces three counts of FAA registration fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice by falsifying records. Mac faces a conspiracy charge and a fraud charge, according to court documents.
Online records show the officers were charged on Aug. 27, but the documents were only unsealed on Thursday.
The indictment alleges that the officers were assigned to the city’s helicopter during the time of the alleged fraud, and that a third man, William Miller, worked as an FAA safety inspector out of Florida.
The scheme involved Mart and Mac allegedly lying about taking mandated test flights in order to obtain FAA certifications throughout 2023 and 2024, and then lying about having taken test flights at the Oakland airport. They then allegedly filled out forms with false information, federal prosecutors allege.
The indictment alleges that Mart received three fraudulent certifications and Mac received at least one.
What we don't know:
It's unclear what motivated the officers to do this, or why the case has come to light now.
It's also unclear how the officers knew Miller, or what prompted the alleged conspiracy. It's possible, one attorney opined, that it was the result of a federal audit.
No mention of money or bribes were alleged in the indictment.
What's next:
All three defendants were released on $25,000 bond and ordered to surrender their passports.
The officers are scheduled to return to court Nov. 30 for a status conference before Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin in Oakland.
The pilot certification allegations come less than a month after the Alameda County District Attorney charged Oakland Police Sgt. Kevin Arias with grand theft, after investigators say he fraudulently collected $38,000 in pay over two years.
Both cases come just as a federal judge is possibly poised to end the 23-year federal oversight over the Oakland Police Department.
Jim Chanin, a civil rights attorney who sued OPD in 2000 to mandate police reforms, said he has to think about whether these latest police misconduct allegations will affect the oversight.
Chanin did point out that there are more than 600 police officers in Oakland, and most of them do a good job.
On the other hand, he said, "This is disturbing, especially because there's a recurrent theme here…which is you can cut corners if you're a police officer."
The Source: The information for this story came from the East Bay Times, federal court documents, an interview with civil rights attorney Jim Chanin, and a video from the Oakland police chief.