DENVER — The Denver District Attorney’s Office formally charged two Denver police officers — a father and son — with felony theft on Monday.
Criminal cases were filed against both men, Michael Pineda, 50, and Santana Pineda, 26, who are accused of submitting timesheets and receiving pay for work they did not perform while on off-duty assignments with a private employer, according to the district attorney's office.
The Denver Police Department announced their arrests on July 26. The men were taken into custody following an internal affairs investigation that began on April 21, 2022, according to police.
Prosecutors claim that Michael Pineda received more than $5,000 in fraudulent pay and Santana Pineda received more than $3,700.
According to an affidavit, the father and son worked as off-duty security officers for a retail store in the 7200 block of E. 36th Avenue in Denver starting around late February. They allegedly falsified their timecards and submitted hours to the private employer that were not worked.
The investigation began after a Denver police sergeant went to the retail location on April 15 to talk to Santana Pineda, who was scheduled to be there, the affidavit said.
During the investigation, officers with DPD internal affairs department looked at surveillance video from the retail location to confirm the alleged discrepancies on their timecards.
Michael Pineda joined DPD in 2004, and Santana Pineda joined DPD in 2019. Both officers are assigned to the DPD Patrol Division, according to a release from the department. They were placed on paid administrative leave on July 11, and on unpaid leave after charges were filed.