A police officer in Los Angeles, California has been caught skydiving while claiming disability benefits.
Christopher Brandon Carnahan, 43, of Norwalk, was charged Monday for two counts of felony insurance fraud.
The Los Angeles police department (LAPD) officer was collecting full benefits for injured workers while he was seen lifting weights and skydiving.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said Carnahan should have known claiming disability benefits while doing physical activity was a crime.
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He said: "This case is about honesty and accountability.
"Claiming to be temporarily totally disabled and collecting disability benefits intended for injured workers while engaging in physically demanding activities like skydiving is a crime.
This is an officer who knows the law and understands the standards he is sworn to uphold."
Carnahan inured his left elbow while on duty and was placed on Temporary Totally Disabled (TTD) status.
Christopher Brandon Carnahan is said to have completed 'many skydives' while claiming disability benefits
|LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Officers on the status can receive 100 per cent of their base salary tax free for up to one year, and then two-thirds of the salary if the injury persists.
The 18-year veteran of the force had participated in "many skydives" at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore, California, according to prosecutors.
An image shared by Los Angeles County, dated May 2024, showed Carnahan holding dumbbells in each of his hands.
Carnhan is currently being held on $100,000 (£75,116.5) bail.
LATEST BENEFITS FRAUDSTERS:
The police officer was seen lifting weights while claiming a left elbow injury prevented him from working
|LOS ANGELES COUNTY
His arraignment is to be scheduled for a later date.
If found guilty, he faces up to six years in prison, served in county jail.
In December, Jordan Roy Lester, 45, a California Highway Patrol officer, was sentenced to 270 days in county jail for felony insurance fraud.
He had told his superiors he could not stand, sit, or do simple household chores without "significant pain".
Lester had sought to medically retire from the police, which would have resulted in him receiving 85 per cent of his salary for life, tax-free.
The 18-year veteran of the LAPD could face up to six years in jail
|GETTY
However, he was seen cutting down trees, stacking firewood, and operating heavy machinery.
And in May, a former Westminster, California, police officer was charged with 15 felonies related to workers' compensation insurance fraud.
Nicole Brown, 39, of Riverside, claimed she had a head injury which prevented her from working.
She had in fact been seen skiing, visiting Disneyland and dancing at a music festival.
If convicted of all charges, she could face up to 22 years in prison.
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