IT'S HARD TO PAY FOR A BOAT AND RV ON A COP'S SALARY

Sometime it takes creative overtime to make ends meet. That is, until you get caught.

3 MORE FORMER FORT WORTH OFFICERS INDICTED IN OVERTIME SCANDAL
By Mitch Mitchell

Star-Telegram
September 8, 2011

FORT WORTH -- A Tarrant County grand jury has indicted three more former Fort Worth police officers accused of falsifying traffic tickets in an effort to earn extra overtime pay.

The indictments accuse James Dunn, Maurice Middleton and Marcus Mosqueda each of at least 20 counts of tampering with a government document and one count of theft by a public servant, according to the Tarrant County district attorney's office.

Middleton and Dunn are charged with theft by a public servant of $1,500 to $20,000 and could face a maximum of 10 years in prison, said Melody McDonald, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office.

Mosqueda was charged with theft by a public servant between $20,000 and $100,000 and if convicted could serve a maximum of 20 years in prison. Each conviction on the tampering with government records charge carries a maximum of two years in state jail, McDonald said.

According to investigators, the former officers falsified the times when they issued traffic citations while working in the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program.

Dunn, 40, was indicted on Sept. 1 and was arrested and released after posting a $5,000 bail, Tarrant County district clerk records show. Dunn is an 11-year veteran who worked with the program from April 16, 2009, to March 5, 2010.

Middleton, 52, and Mosqueda, 33, were both indicted Tuesday and were also arrested and released after posting $5,000 bail, according to records.

Middleton, an 11-year veteran, worked in the traffic enforcement program from Dec. 22, 2009, to March 4, 2010. Mosqueda, a seven-year veteran, worked in the program from Jan. 9, 2009, to Feb. 27, 2010.

They are among nine officers accused after an investigation. Six were fired and three resigned. Four of the six who were fired admitted to falsifying records but deny that they did so to collect overtime pay, according to police officials.

Three of other officers are awaiting trial.

Robert Peoples, 49, was indicted on 12 counts of tampering with a governmental record and one count of theft by a public servant, accused of taking in $14,592 in overtime that he did not earn over three years beginning in 2008.

Jonathan Johnson, 39, was indicted on 19 counts of tampering with a governmental record and one county of theft by a public servant for receiving $25,427 for work he did not do during the same period.

Herman Young, 46, was indicted on 12 counts of tampering with a governmental record and one count of theft by a public servant.

The district attorney's office is preparing the final three cases for grand jury consideration, McDonald said.

Those officers are Ron Wigginton, a five-year veteran who worked in the program from Dec. 28, 2009, to Feb. 19, 2010; Patrick Aguilar, an 18-year-veteran, worked in the program for three days; and James McDade, on the force for five years.

Some of the officers greatly enhanced their paychecks with overtime pay last year, according to Star-Telegram research.

Young received $48,530.49 in overtime on top of a base salary of $72,321. Mosqueda received $44,669.59 in overtime on top of a base salary of $60,819. Peoples received $40,167 in overtime on top of a base salary of $72,321.