Former Irvine Police Officer, Matthew Christian August, Sentenced To 1 Year In Jail, 3 Years Probation For Overtime Fraud
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) - Former Irvine Police Officer Matthew Christian August, 49, of Aliso Viejo was sentenced to one year in jail Wednesday after pleading guilty to stealing an estimated $68,000 by claiming overtime for which he never worked.
August was employed by the Irvine PD from November 2005 through Aug. 12, 2019. He filed 34 time cards requesting overtime pay for hours he never worked, prosecutors said. Department officials first noticed discrepancies between his overtime requests and the hours he actually worked in June 2018. He was charged the following summer.
In addition to the jail time, August received three years of formal probation after pleading guilty to 34 felony counts of presenting a false claim and two felony counts of grand theft by an employee.
According tot he Orange County District Attorney's Office, August could've faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted at trial.
He is scheduled to report to jail on Aug. 20 and will serve 364 days in jail.