{"id":460381,"date":"2026-09-11T09:32:39","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T09:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/460381\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T09:32:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T09:32:39","slug":"report-opd-officers-indicted-for-defrauding-federal-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/460381\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: OPD officers indicted for defrauding federal agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two officers with the Oakland Police Department\u2019s helicopter unit were arraigned in federal court Thursday over allegations that they conspired to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration, the East Bay Times<\/a> has reported.<\/p>\n

Details are sparse because the case was unsealed today, according to the East Bay Times, but here\u2019s what we know.<\/p>\n

The Times reported that David Mac and Brandon Mart, both in OPD\u2019s Air Support Unit, pleaded not guilty to several federal charges. Mart faces three counts of FAA registration fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice by falsifying records. If found guilty, Mart could face up to 20 years in prison. Mac reportedly faces a conspiracy charge and a fraud charge.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear whether the alleged wrongdoing is connected to Mart\u2019s or Mac\u2019s duties as police officers.<\/p>\n

A third person, William Miller, was also reportedly arraigned today in the Oakland federal courthouse on the conspiracy charge and four counts of FAA registration fraud. Miller, if convicted, would face a maximum prison sentence of five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, OPD Chief James Beere said both officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take these allegations seriously and are cooperating with outside law enforcement agencies as they investigate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Beere said in a video posted on OPD\u2019s Instagram<\/a> that the department was made aware of the criminal charges today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I became chief of police, I made it clear that anyone who commits a crime in our city will be held accountable, including members of the Oakland Police Department,\u201d he said. An officer accused of wrongdoing, he added, \u201cnot only undermines the integrity of that individual, but it also erodes the confidence our community has in the entire profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

OPD did not respond to questions regarding whether the department has opened any internal investigations related to these allegations. The U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Northern District of California, the agency prosecuting the case, did not return phone calls or emails from The Oaklandside about the case.<\/p>\n

All three people were released on bond and are due back in court on Nov. 30, the East Bay Times reported.<\/p>\n

Both Mac and Mart were part of the 171st OPD academy, which graduated<\/a> in April 2015.<\/p>\n

According to the FAA airmen registry, Mac and Mart received their commercial pilot licenses in February 2024. Mart has a single-engine airplane license and a helicopter license. Mac has a helicopter pilot\u2019s license.<\/p>\n

Mac is the vice president of the Oakland Asian Police Officers Association, according to tax filings<\/a> for the fiscal year ending in December 2025.<\/p>\n

The case comes on the heels of another OPD employee, Sgt. Kevin Arias, facing allegations of fraud<\/a>. An internal investigation by OPD found that Arias had logged about $38,000 in overtime that he had not worked. He faces grand theft and public official fraud charges, according to a criminal complaint filed by the district attorney\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.<\/p>\n

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