California Highway Patrol officer suspended for overtime fraud

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer Nathaniel Partridge was found to have claimed overtime pay for hours he did not work, part of a broader scheme at the East Los Angeles patrol division where dozens of officers allegedly fabricated overtime on traffic‑enforcement details. After the officers were dismissed in 2020, Attorney General Rob Bonta filed 302 criminal counts against 54 officers, accusing them of defrauding the public of more than $200,000. In a California appeals court decision, the court rejected CHP’s request to fire Partridge and instead imposed a one‑year suspension without pay, deeming it appropriate discipline. Partridge’s lawyer, David Mastagni, said the ruling reflects “fundamental fairness.” Many of the accused officers later accepted deals that reduced felony charges to misdemeanors in exchange for repayment of the misappropriated funds.