September 30, 2023 - Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced on Friday that Los Angeles police officer Isabel Morales has been charged with fraudulently collecting overtime pay in 2022.

“I am deeply troubled by the alleged misappropriation of funds by a trusted law enforcement officer,” District Attorney Gascón said. “This behavior undermines the trust we work tirelessly to build with our community. Law enforcement officers are held to a standard of unwavering integrity. My office is committed to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their profession, are held accountable for their actions under the law.”

Isabel Morales (32) is charged in case BA518177 with one felony count of grand theft by embezzlement.

Morales will be arraigned in Dept. 30 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on a date to be determined.

On February 28, 2022, Morales was subpoenaed on an “on call” basis for a murder trial that began on February 23, 2022. The trial concluded on March 8, 2022, and she was no longer “on call” for the case. Thereafter, Morales allegedly reported herself as “on call” more than 70 times (including some court holidays) for the same trial from March 10, 2022, until July 15, 2022, and collected overtime for that status in the amount of approximately $15,087.13.

Morales is currently employed as a Los Angeles police officer and has been with the department since January 2016.

If convicted as charged, Morales will face a maximum sentence of 36 months in county jail.

The case is being prosecuted by LADA’s Justice System Integrity Division and was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Source: Los Angeles County District Attorney