San Leandro Police Sergeant Charged With Embezzlement

SAN LEANDRO, CA — Alameda County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a San Leandro police sergeant with embezzlement and misappropriation of funds, police said.

Sgt. Robert Sanchez has been with the department for 19 years and was responsible for payroll functions when police found out he was allegedly using the system for his personal benefit.

Police said they discovered discrepancies in funds and overtime requests Sanchez made. He was placed on administrative leave and the department contacted prosecutors.

"I was disappointed to hear of these allegations," San Leandro Mayor Pauline Russo said in a statement. "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."

"As public servants we have an obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard," Police Chief Jeff Tudor said in a statement. "We will continue to review our internal processes to ensure something like this does not happen again."

Alameda County prosecutors will conduct a criminal investigation. Police will conduct their own investigation to understand exactly what happened and decide what to do next.

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