A Seattle police officer was fired after an investigation found he violated department policies related to honesty, professionalism, and adherence to the law stemming from his conduct during personal bankruptcy proceedings and a failed real estate venture.
The termination followed an investigation by the Seattle Office of Police Accountability into allegations the officer and his wife defrauded investors connected to a home renovation project before he joined the force and later made false statements in bankruptcy filings. OPA Director Bonnie Glenn sustained three allegations against the officer, concluding he violated department standards requiring employees to obey the law, act professionally, and provide truthful and complete information.
The officer was hired by the Seattle Police Department in March 2020. The misconduct allegations centered on events beginning in 2019, when a complainant said he loaned $30,000 for a real estate renovation project that was never repaid. The complainant alleged the officer and his wife operated a fraudulent investment scheme. A criminal investigation was referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which declined to file charges in April 2023, finding insufficient evidence to prove crimes such as theft by deception, mortgage fraud, or securities fraud beyond a reasonable doubt.
The officer and his wife filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2021. In 2023, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington denied the officer a discharge of debts, finding he failed to maintain adequate financial records, made false oaths, and did not explain the loss of assets. The court determined he signed bankruptcy documents under oath without verifying their accuracy and omitted multiple assets and financial transactions. An appellate panel upheld the decision in 2024, unanimously agreeing there was sufficient evidence the officer knowingly made false statements under oath.
OPA investigators reviewed court records, bankruptcy filings, the police background investigation, and interviews with prosecutors and federal officials. The agency concluded the officer’s conduct during the bankruptcy process, including sworn statements later found to be false, violated department policies even though the underlying financial dispute predated his employment. The investigation was certified by the Office of Inspector General as thorough, timely, and objective.
