An Antioch police officer, Morteza Amiri, has been convicted by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud for his role in a fraudulent scheme aimed to profit from fake educational achievements. U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp made the announcement following the conclusion of a four-day trial presided by U.S. Senior District Judge Jeffrey S. White.
Amiri, along with five other officers, engaged in deceptive practices to obtain pay raises from the City of Antioch Police Department by paying another individual to complete online university courses in their names. They obtained degrees they hadn't rightfully earned and gained financial benefits such as salary increments that are pegged to educational qualifications. All of this was carried out under the pretense that they had self-completed the coursework required for the degrees, but in actuality, they had not lifted a finger toward their academic betterment.
In a detailed statement, U.S. Attorney Ramsey emphasized the gravity of such dishonest behavior, noting, "We expect integrity and honesty from every police officer, every day, in the police departments across this country". Ramsey pointed out that Amiri's actions, along with his co-conspirators, betrayed the core responsibilities of law enforcement officers and that their conviction signaled a breach of the rule of law they had been entrusted to uphold, as reported by the United States Department of Justice.
According to evidence presented at trial, Amiri's conduct included texting the individual completing his university work with statements like "can i hire you [ ] to do my ... classes? ill pay you per class" and "if i submit my request for the degree on time by the end [ ] of the month i can coordinate my raise in a timely manner", per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California press release. Once the bogus courses were completed, Amiri fraudulently sought and received financial rewards from his police department. This illegal activity involved several officers from the City of Antioch and the City of Pittsburg Police Departments, culminating in multiple indictments returned by a federal grand jury last year.
Amiri faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each felony count as he awaits sentencing on November 12, and his legal troubles continue with another related trial set for February 2025. Filings in the extensive case indicate sentences have been set for his co-conspirators, with some having already entered guilty pleas.
