San Francisco police arrest fellow officer suspected of fraud

The San Francisco Police Department announced Monday the arrest of an active officer suspected of making fraudulent claims involving a crash and damaged vehicle.

Authorities said Officer Adam Eatia voluntarily turned himself in to police Friday after a bench warrant for his arrest was issued Wednesday by a San Francisco Superior Court judge. Eatia was booked on several charges, including grand theft by false pretense, two counts of insurance fraud, identity theft and forgery.

The investigation into Eatia’s alleged crimes began in August 2019 when the department’s Internal Affairs Division was notified of fraud related to a vehicle damaged in a crash involving the officer. Authorities said Eatia, while off-duty, allegedly committed theft by false pretense by saying the damaged vehicle was uninsured and taking money from the victim to help pay for damages, police said.

Authorities also allege Eatia made false representations when filming and submitting the claim to his insurance company, impersonating a San Francisco police sergeant on the claim form.

While under investigation, the department said Eatia was disarmed and transferred in September 2021 to an assignment with no public contact. He has served with the Police Department for 15 years.

In statement, Police Chief Bill Scott said:

“The actions of this SFPD member violate the law and regrettably fall far short of our department’s shared values. As sworn police officers, we have no higher obligation than to earn and maintain public trust, and we are disappointed that this incident detracts from the outstanding work done by our officers and non-sworn members every day.”