A Orlando police officer was arrested on Thursday, accused of grand theft and engaging in a financial scheme to defraud, OPD said.
Officer Bryant Almeida was taken into custody earlier today and taken to the Orange County Jail.
OPD’s Sergeant Jim Young, Media Relations said in an e-mail, in October 2012, the Department received a complaint from the Regional Property Manager for the Highland Oaks Apartments alleging that an officer assigned to work extra duty hours at the complex, was not actually on the property during the hours for which he was being compensated by the city.
Based on the complaint, OPD-Criminal Investigation Division opened an investigation and Officer Almeida was identified as a suspect. The investigation revealed that Almeida was submitting pay invoices to the city for claimed work. The times varied over a period of time from June 2011-August 2012.
Almeida joined the police force in 2006 and over the years had received several transfers, including being assigned to the east patrol.
The extent to which Almeida is alleged to have defrauded the city is unclear.
A separate active internal investigation is ongoing, in addition to the criminal investigation, Young also said, in the e-mail.
