Former Pittsburg police officer admits to college scam, selling steroids, destroying evidence
Former Pittsburg police officer admits to three felonies
A former Pittsburg officer has admitted he lied, stole from his employers, sold steroids to other law enforcement officials and advertised his then-girlfriend’s college cheating service to other cops, ironically all while pretending to pursue a degree in criminal justice.
PITTSBURG, Calif. - A former Pittsburg police officer has admitted to several crimes and destroying evidence to cover his tracks.
Patrick Berhan on Tuesday pleaded guilty to multiple felonies that include wire fraud and selling steroids.
He also enrolled his then-girlfriend to take online college courses for him, so he could receive a pay raise.
Court documents revealed that after successfully scamming the system, Berhan promoted it as a service to other officers.
He's scheduled to be sentenced in July.
The East Bay Times reported that Berhan is now the third officer to plead guilty or no contest to a criminal offense in a massive police corruption scandal that has led to criminal charges against 14 ex-law enforcement officers in East Contra Costa County.
But, as the news organization notes, he is perhaps the most significant defendant to plead guilty thus far; federal authorities see him as a ringleader in a scam by six officers to fraudulently obtain pay bumps from the cities of Antioch and Pittsburg, an allegation Berhan’s defense team contests.