The Antelope Valley Times

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Sheriff’s deputy charged with falsifying records

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LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy accused of misleading supervisors about the hours he worked and falsifying patrol records pleaded not guilty Wednesday to seven felony counts.

Matt Kochaon, 54, is charged with one count of grand theft and six counts of removing, destroying or falsifying a public record while an official custodian of records, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Kochaon — who was assigned at the time to the sheriff’s department’s Parks Bureau’s Southern Region — allegedly drove his patrol vehicle to his Riverside home at the end of his shift between September 2016 and October 2016, and then reportedly logged out from his shift at home, which resulted in salary overpayment, according to prosecutors.

He also allegedly made patrol log entries of his response to calls for backup when he was at home, according to prosecutors.

Kochaon is due back in a courtroom July 26, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.

If convicted as charged, he could face up to nine years and eight months in local custody, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Kochaon — a 20-year veteran of the sheriff’s department — was relieved of duty in February 2017 pending the outcome of a criminal investigation, according to a statement released by the sheriff’s department.

“When the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s (LASD) Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau (ICIB) became aware of the criminal allegations, a comprehensive investigation was initiated. Through the course of their investigation, ICIB investigators obtained information indicating that various crimes had occurred,” according to the statement, which noted that the case was presented to the District Attorney’s Office last year for filing consideration.

“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department expects all of its members to hold themselves to the highest ethical and professional standards at all times. Department members who choose to violate the law and public trust will not be tolerated,” according to the statement.

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

36 comments for "Sheriff’s deputy charged with falsifying records"

  2. … has anyone ever summed the number innocent people who wound up jail, because law enforcement cooked the books, and falsified records? It’s a pretty big number. It is an awful lot of people they’ve done that to.

  3. Like this is the first time this has happened..our sheriff’s dept. Is corrupt. They do things how they want and to whoever they want. Not saying ALL of them are bad but a lot of them get that badge and Boom! They think they are better than everybody else….like tell me why when they are taking someone back to the station they refer to them as ” scumbag ” ?

  4. Rectitude and social responsibility are not high on law enforcement’s list. Of everyone else, they expect it.

    • Law enforcement officers share one commonality: their compulsion for constant entertainment. They must be constantly entertained. And, they constantly compete amongst their peers, providing amusement and entertainment throughout the course of their work shift. They rank order their bretheren, by whom amongst them is the most entertaining.

  5. I love this part “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department expects all of its members to hold themselves to the highest ethical and professional standards at all times” …Yeah SURE.

  6. They have a game where the idea is to get a photo of their cruiser as far as possible from LA & make it back before the end of their shift. Golden Gate Bridge is a popular destination.

    • … I wonder what the record is? I wonder who holds it? Theoretically, a sheriff’s deputy could easy make Santa Nelia, snap a pic of his squad car in front of the Anderson’s Pea Soup windmill, and still make it back to the Lancaster sheriff station by the end of his shift. But, normally an 11 hour drive there and back, doing the entire trip code 7, blowing triple digits on his speedo, though it would require three refueling stops, an Antelope Valley LASD officer could theoretically make the state capital, and back, inside 8 hours.

    • I despise the ones who act as Rex’s personal police force. They are few but they are vile.

  8. Proof cops are liars and cheaters too. Hope he has to pay it all back and then he gets hit by a bus

    • … oh, everyone already knows, they’re all doing it. All those LASD officers game the system. And, they’re constantly covering up for each other. This guy’s just the one who got caught. Awkward position, fellow officers couldn’t cover for him –

      • yes because their salary is not that great for putting their lives out there and yes they do what they have to do to take care of their families I guess

        • Yeah, they get paid more than garbagemen, loggers, or commercial fishermen, who all have a higher probability of dying on the job. They also get paid more than most construction workers, who are about as likely to die on the job. They also get paid more than most members of the military. Spare us your excuse making.

        • They knew the job when they took the job. If they can’t provide for their family without breaking the law, then they need a different job. Do you think a drug dealer should be arrested? they’re providing for their family. A deputy makes descent money. People provide for their family making a lot less.

  9. Notice anything peculiar about the last three stories regarding deputies getting charged with crimes? I did not see mention they ever worked anywhere near the Antelope Valley. Where is Park Bureau south ?

  10. … lying on their time cards isn’t the extent of it. Bunch of crooks, they’re rounding up our traffic infractions, now. If we’re going 61 in a 55? They’ll write us up, for 65. It’s on account they’ll make a little more money.

    • Youre right! I got pulled over once going 60 on a 55 but the cop put 67 on my ticket but then the genius showed the judge the speedometer report that read 72MPH and he tried telling the judge he cut me a break but he didnt bother to say anything until the judge noticed the mistake so he looked stupud and the judge called BS.
      F you Rodriguez you bald piece of Sh!t

  12. That’s excessive prison time for a few dollars and papers. The entire judicial system has to be remodeled. He should be given the opportunity to repay what he owes and do no prison time. It’s the most logical and humane thing. We are living under a dragonian government. Hopefully Trump will fix the system, he’s been doing a good job so far.

    • @James…When a Law Enforcement Officer breaks the law, consequences should be tougher, because they are held to a higher standard. Hence the words law enforcement.

      • Alexis, that’s against the constitution, “equality under the law”

        If you let the judicial system get away with violating the Constitution this once then there is no protections for the American people.

      • @James…We entrust them with upholding the law. When they break it, they undermine public trust and respect for the law. Also it’s a common trick for judges to overturn convictions of cops once the public eye is no longer focused on them.

        • Really, when did this happen in the past Alexis? Do you happen to have any details?

          The guy broke the law, prosecute him. Just because he is a cop does not mean there are special tougher laws for cops…..

          • Actually, yes there are…as there should be. Violations of the public trust are crimes that ONLY people in positions of public trust can commit. That means that prosecuting them when they do isn’t discriminatory, or a violation of equal protection, it’s just part of holding a position of public trust. We don’t say “well, homeless people never get prosecuted for corruption, so Wrecks Parris shouldn’t either.” Same with cops.

          • @AV Illegal…Read the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. They take an oath to uphold the law, so when they break the law the sentences should be much stiffer.

          • Code of ethics is not code of law. There are some laws that apply to police officers like assault under the color of authority, violation of civil rights under the color of authority, accepting bribes to name a few.

            Falsifying time records is not one of those special laws. Neither is falsifying records while acting in an official capacity. They each have their specific penalties and you can’t just arbitrarily make those penalties worse or less (unless the suspect is a politician)

            So…..violation of their oath of ethics, while you would like it to be a stiffer penalty than everyone else on the planet is not in itself a stiffer penalty crime. Not saying it isn’t a crime to do what he did, it just does not afford special stiffer penalties for falsifying a time record. While it might be a crime that does not apply to everyone, that is only because those types of crimes only apply to public officials. It would be like a specialized law pertaining to someone running an oil pipeline. If they violated specific laws related to the pipeline operation they would be prosecuted under those laws. There would not be a special longer term or worse punishment just because we all hate them for letting oil spill.

            I am all for firing him and sending him to jail if he is found guilty. I do however think he should be afforded equal protection AND prosecution under the laws of this country.

      • Alexis…let’s talk about your sordid history. You think people haven’t figured out who you are by now? Let’s talk about your checkered past since you’re all about passing judgement on others. Why not be transparent?

        • @AV Illegal…Law Enforcement Oath of Honor: “On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the constitution, my community, and the agency I serve.” If this officer doesn’t have integrity in this particular area, I wonder how many arrest records he falsified? When you have law enforcement breaking the law, they should receive much stiffer sentences.

          • Still not a paw Alexis…..an oath. Like I said before, fire him, prosecute him, but understand the laws.

          • Once you take an oath to uphold the law, you are obligated to resist all efforts to turn law enforcement organizations into criminal enterprises. There are a few in law enforcement that live by the sacred oath, and live by it with great integrity, and selflessness. Then there are the many that trample the oath, break the law, and cover it up with help from their fellow officers. Now there are millions of people that have much disdain, and distrust for all law enforcement, because it overwhelms the good. It’s only getting worse, and I hope for better days ahead. There are too few that even care about an oath, and corruption reigns.

    • First off, where exactly are you getting this “few dollars and papers.” From the article it sounds like he was basically a habitual “work from home” guy and it’s unlikely that the multiple times he has been caught and proven stealing is even a dent in just how much he got away with stealing.

      Plus, Alexis is spot on. Equal protection under the law does not preclude the idea that public officials violating the public trust are committing a unique form of crime that is subject to punishments that people who are not public officials are not subject to because they are not in position to commit such crimes.

      As to Trump “fixing the dragonian [sic] government,” so far he has done the exact opposite. By all indications Trump is moving the US as rapidly as possible towards a crony capitalism system in which law enforcement is reduced to goon squads directed through personal loyalties and corruption rather than by the rule of law. It is completely obvious that Trump believes his position as president puts him “above the law,” and it is becoming difficult to say that he is wrong about that as the GOP congress cowers and he packs the judicial benches with his henchmen.