CMPD officer charged with fraud submitted faulty invoices, police say

CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer has been charged with fraud after investigators said they discovered he was submitting faulty invoices.

According to CMPD, officer Lawrence Guiler has been charged with eight counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, which is a Class H felony.

Police said that last month, businesses where Guiler was employed in a secondary employment capacity found irregularities in the invoices for compensation that he submitted.

CMPD’s Secondary Employment Office and Internal Affairs were notified of the concerns and the department immediately launched both criminal and internal investigations.

Police said evidence and information gathered during the investigation revealed that Guiler submitted invoices for payment to private businesses for dollar amounts in excess of what he was due on more than one occasion. Further investigation into Guiler’s activity reportedly revealed multiple dates that he received payment from a business for work he did not perform. The incidents occurred between March and August of 2021.

Guiler was arrested this Thursday afternoon and transported to the Mecklenburg County Jail.

“Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department are expected to conduct themselves to the highest professional standards and will be held accountable when they fail to do so. At no time will this department allow behavior that violates the law or community trust,” CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said.

Police said Guiler was was hired by CMPD on July 22, 2013. He was assigned as a patrol officer in the Providence Division and has been placed on unpaid administrative leave.

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