Summary

On April 26 and May 3, 2012 respectively, former El Paso Police Department police officers, Zake Rivera and Gabriel Castaneda, were indicted on charges of tampering with a government record with the intent to defraud by an El Paso County grand jury, El Paso, Texas.    

The former officers were accused of submitting overtime reimbursement requests containing false information as to the times worked and number of traffic citations issued.  The requests were submitted in 2009 and 2010 while working overtime under the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, which is funded through a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grant.  Mr. Rivera and Mr. Castaneda are part of a group of 22 El Paso police officers suspected to date in this traffic ticket overtime scheme.  

This investigation is being conducted jointly with the El Paso Police Department and El Paso County District Attorney's Office, with assistance from NHTSA and the Texas Department of Transportation.  

Note:  Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the Government.  All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.