North Carolina police sergeant arrested on 12 charges, chief says

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — An officer with the Fayetteville, North Carolina , Police Department is facing more than a dozen charges, according to Cumberland County Detention Center records.

Sgt. Brian Christopher Gerber was arrested Thursday morning and booked into the Cumberland County Detention Center and given a $2,000 bond. Gerber was charged with 12 counts of obtaining property by false pretense.

Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden said the charges were related to Gerber’s off-duty employment with Marketfair NC LLC. Braden said Gerber’s actions led to probable cause for the issuance of 12 felony warrants for obtaining property by false pretense with the amount of more than $20,000.

Gerber was employed by the Fayetteville Police Department since 2017. Up until his dismissal Thursday, he was assigned to the patrol division.

“The purpose of this press conference and release is to assure our community that accountability and transparency are being exercised within the Fayetteville Police Department,” Braden said at a news conference announcing the charges.

Braden said Gerber was serving as a security officer for the Marketfair. He did not disclose what exactly led to the charges or how the alleged illegal actions were discovered.

“To me, the definition of ethics is the expectation or the code of conduct that’s placed upon you based on your role, title, position or profession. There’s certain things that the average person can probably do or get away with that we can’t allow our police officers to do or get away with,” Braden said.

“Once they cross that line and they break the law, that is definitely not something we can allow them to get away with,” he added.

Braden said Gerber was involved in the illegal activities over several months.

As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Gerber was no longer listed as an active inmate at the jail.

Officers said Gerber is no longer an employee with the Fayetteville Police Department and that the investigation is ongoing.

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