Full Notification

San Leandro, California – On October 27, 2020 the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Sergeant Robert Sanchez of the San Leandro Police Department with Embezzlement and Misappropriation of Funds.

Sergeant Sanchez has been with the San Leandro Police for nineteen years and was entrusted to carry out payroll functions within the department when discrepancies with funds and overtime requests in his timesheets were discovered. After an internal investigation and audit conducted by the Police Department, it was determined Sanchez was manipulating the systems for personal gain. The Department immediately contacted the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and Sergeant Sanchez was placed on administrative leave.

“As public servants we have an obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard,” stated Chief Tudor, “Unfortunate and disappointing incidents like this will never be tolerated in this department and we will continue to review our internal processes to ensure something like this does not happen again. Although I am highly troubled by these allegations, I am pleased that our oversight systems caught this alleged wrongdoing and that our leadership team took immediate action to investigate it and report it.”

“I was disappointed to hear of these allegations,” stated Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter. “However, I was pleased to see immediate action was taken by the San Leandro Police Department as soon as the discrepancies were discovered through an internal audit. The City has since hired a forensic accountant to conduct a thorough review of the internal processes to make certain this does not happen again. There is no room for dishonesty among our own employees and while the news is disappointing, I am grateful for the honest and diligent officers and staff that reported this activity. Their actions are representative of the integrity and professionalism we all expect from our public servants.”

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office will be conducting the criminal investigation. Any questions regarding this investigation are referred to their office. A third-party Internal Affairs investigation will also be conducted to better understand this incident and determine the appropriate follow-up actions.