Oakland police sergeant accused of collecting $38K in alleged time-card fraud
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OAKLAND, Calif. - An Oakland police sergeant and 21-year veteran of the force has been charged with grand theft after investigators alleged he fraudulently collected more than $38,000 in pay over two years.
Internal audit finds irregularities
What we know:
Sgt. Kevin Arias was charged following a routine internal audit of Oakland Police Department employee time sheets that found irregularities in his records, the department said.
Arias is accused of stealing time between October 2023 and Jan. 26, resulting in more than $38,000 in extra pay, police said.
After the department identified the alleged discrepancies, it referred the case to its Internal Affairs Bureau and Criminal Investigation Division for an independent review.
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Chief: Officers will be held accountable
What they're saying:
"Police officers come to work to do the right thing," Chief James Beere said. "Unfortunately, that was not the case in this situation. We want the public to know that we hold ourselves to the highest standards, and anyone who breaks the law will be fully investigated and referred for prosecution."
The department presented its findings to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, which filed charges against Arias.
Arias has been placed on administrative leave.
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Federal oversight decision looms
What's next:
The alleged time-card fraud comes about a month before a federal judge is expected to consider whether to end the Oakland Police Department’s more than two decades of federal oversight, one of the longest such periods in U.S. history.
The Source: The information in this story came from statements issued by the Oakland Police Department and Chief James Beere on Aug. 28, 2026, after Sgt. Kevin Arias was charged.