Federal authorities indicted two Oakland police officers assigned to the department's helicopter unit on Thursday, accusing the officers of falsifying aircraft registration certifications and engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration.
The officers, David Mac and Brandon Mart, were arraigned in a federal courthouse on Thursday in Oakland, the East Bay Times first reported. Both officers pleaded not guilty to FAA certification fraud and conspiracy charges. Mart was also charged with falsifying records.
Federal prosecutors also charged William Miller, then an FAA aviation safety inspector, with conspiracy and FAA certification fraud, describing him as the linchpin in the plot who made it possible for the officers to fake flights and subsequently obtain extra FAA credentials they hadn't earned.
The U.S. Attorney's Office did not respond to email or calls Thursday.
In a statement, Oakland police Chief James Beere said the department only learned of the federal charges involving two department members on Thursday. Though he did not name the officers, Beere said the employees were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of their case.
"When an officer violates that trust, it not only undermines the integrity of that individual, but it also erodes the confidence our community has in the entire profession," said Beere. "I want my community to know that I take allegations of criminal misconduct against any member of OPD very seriously."
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This article originally published at Oakland police helicopter officers charged with conspiring to defraud FAA.