Federal prosecutors and the internal affairs department of the Washington D.C. police are investigating at least two dozen officers who are suspected of misappropriating government funds intended for pandemic relief, according to two anonymous sources familiar with the investigation.
Investigators are attempting to determine whether the police officers fraudulently obtained loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a key component of the more than $5 trillion federal government program aimed at mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sources confirmed to The Washington Post.
“The Internal Audit Division of the Washington D.C. Police Department is currently investigating allegations involving several officers suspected of PPP loan fraud. While the police department does not comment on ongoing internal investigations, we can confirm that no law enforcement officer involved in these investigations has been suspended at this time,” said Paris Levelle, a spokesperson for the Washington D.C. Police Department, on Saturday.
The growing public attention to these cases followed last month’s conviction of a former Washington D.C. police officer in federal court for fraudulently obtaining $35,000 (approximately €32,000) from the PPP funds.
It is still unclear whether the officers currently under investigation will face criminal charges, and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington D.C. declined to comment.
According to The Washington Post, the determination of criminal liability for the accused could result in internal disciplinary actions such as reassignment to office duties, suspension of police powers, or termination.
The possibility that a large number of police officers could be removed from active duty due to criminal responsibility comes just before the summer season when the police service is already facing a shortage of active members and crime rates are expected to rise.
