Two New Orleans Police officers allegedly lied on time sheets and stole cash intended for investigations.
"FBI Special Agents and officers in the New Orleans Police Department's Public Integrity Bureau arrested two NOPD Officers on charges of wire fraud," authorities said in a joint news release. "The officers arrested were Rafael Dobard and Quincy Jones."
Both officers allegedly claimed hours they did not work for private details and took cash set aside for confidential investigative purposes.
The FBI provided the following information:
Dobard, age 39, 4504 Croyden Avenue, New Orleans, has served as an NOPD officer for eight years, most recently assigned as a detective to NOPD's Fourth District Narcotics Unit. It is believed that while working security details at various locations, including the BW Cooper and Guste Housing Developments, Dobard submitted timesheets to NOPD and the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) with overlapping work periods, seeking payment from each entity for the same periods of time.
Jones, age 33, and a resident of 2921 Bennett Street, New Orleans, has served as an NOPD officer for 11 years, most recently assigned to the Fourth District Narcotics Unit. It is believed that Jones also submitted timesheets with overlapping work periods to the NOPD and HANO, seeking payment from each entity for the same periods of time.
In addition to payroll fraud charges, it is also believed that both police officers were stealing money intended for confidential investigative purposes.
"As I have stated previously, the NOPD has a strict zero tolerance policy for misconduct within the New Orleans Police Department," said NOPD Chief Ronal Serpas, in response to the arrests.
"The public should know that the work of the joint PIB/FBI task force is ongoing and we will continue to work diligently to ensure transparency, accountability, collaboration and integrity within the New Orleans Police Department."
Upon their arrest by federal authorities, the officers were immediately placed on emergency suspension by the police department. Dobard and Jones were remanded into federal custody and taken to the US Marshals to await their initial appearance in federal court.
Another New Orleans police officer, Jason Cross, was charged this past Friday, November 1, in federal court with possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. In a Bill of Information, Cross, approximately 35 years of age, and most recently assigned to the NOPD's 7th District, was charged with knowingly and intentionally attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride. This investigation was also the result of the FBI/NOPD PIB Task Force.