Last of Six East Bay Officers Convicted in Scheme to Defraud Police Departments with Fake Degrees

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Oakland, CA — Morteza Amiri, a police officer with the Antioch Police Department, has been convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain pay raises. Amiri is the sixth officer to be found guilty in this conspiracy, which involved officers from the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments. The conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, following a four-day trial overseen by U.S. Senior District Judge Jeffrey S. White.

U.S. Attorney Ramsey emphasized the importance of integrity in law enforcement, stating, "We expect integrity and honesty from every police officer, every day, in the police departments across this country. Amiri failed to uphold these basic responsibilities, and a federal jury has convicted him of defrauding his employer, the Antioch Police Department. He, along with the other officers he conspired with, now face the consequences of violating the rule of law that they swore to uphold."

FBI Special Agent in Charge Tripp added, "Amiri engaged in a calculated conspiracy to defraud his police department of taxpayer funds. His actions were a violation of the law and a grave betrayal of public trust. Amiri and his co-conspirators’ deception has no place in law enforcement. With this conviction, he now faces the consequences of his actions."

According to evidence presented at trial, Amiri, 33, and his co-conspirators hired a third party to complete online university courses on their behalf to obtain bachelor's degrees in Criminal Justice. They then used these degrees to claim financial incentives and pay raises from their police department employers. The conspiracy spanned two years and involved officers and former officers from both the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments.

Text messages revealed during the trial showed Amiri directly communicating with the person he hired to take his classes, instructing them to keep the arrangement secret to avoid losing his job. Amiri’s fraudulent degree allowed him to secure additional financial incentives from the City of Antioch.

Amiri was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for November 12, 2024, where the court may also impose fines, restitution, and supervised release. The actual sentence will be determined by the court, considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant federal statutes.

This conviction marks the conclusion of a broader federal investigation that resulted in multiple indictments against ten current and former officers and employees from the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments. Amiri is the final officer to be convicted in this wire fraud conspiracy case.