The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office has cleared the head of the deputy sheriff’s union of wrongdoing over alleged timecard fraud, amid ongoing unrest within Sheriff Christina Corpus’ office.
On Monday, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe released a statement in the case of Deputy Carlos Tapia, the president of the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. Tapia was arrested by the sheriff’s office on Nov. 12 on charges of theft and obtaining money by false pretenses.
“No one is above the law. We strive for responsibility at every level. While these actions are difficult, they are necessary to uphold the integrity and trust of our office and our community.” Corpus said at the time.
“I will continue to faithfully represent the interests of our union members and I look forward to the prosecutor’s review of this investigation,” Tapia said after his arrest. “And I am convinced that I will be proven right.”
The next day, the sheriff’s office submitted the case to the district attorney for review. After the month-long investigation, the prosecutor said Tapia would not be charged and that the case was closed.
Wagstaffe said Monday: “We have concluded from the follow-up investigation that no crime was committed by Deputy Carlos Tapia, that the full investigation revealed that there was no basis to believe that any wrongdoing occurred of the law, and finally that Deputy Tapia was not arrested.”
According to the district attorney, the initial investigation by the sheriff’s office was “extremely limited” and “did not constitute a necessary follow-up investigation,” noting that it was conducted entirely by an assigned acting assistant sheriff who reviewed Tapia’s time cards.
“The Acting Assistant Sheriff noted in his report that the investigation was ongoing and that more needed to be done. Nevertheless, the Assistant Sheriff reported that the Sheriff’s Office executive leadership ordered that Deputy Tapia be terminated on November 12, 2024 arrest without conducting additional investigation,” the district attorney’s office said.
During the district attorney’s follow-up investigation, several interviews were conducted, including Tapia, the acting assistant sheriff, Tapia’s supervisory sergeants and lieutenant, human resources management analysts, the assistant county comptroller and others.
After the investigation, the district attorney’s office said there were some administrative errors in which work hours were coded, but “nothing” showed there was criminal intent or conduct. There were no financial losses to the sheriff’s office as a result of the coding errors.
“It is my conclusion that the evidence establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that Deputy Carlos Tapia did not commit grand theft, theft under false pretenses, or any form of time card fraud,” Wagstaffe continued.
The prosecutor’s conclusion is a blow to Corpus, who is facing calls to resign after multiple allegations of misconduct. On the same day Tapia was arrested, an independent report was released accusing Corpus of bullying, racist and homophobic comments, conflict of interest and a personal relationship with her chief of staff, Victor Aenile.
The San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Office of Sheriff’s Sergeants unions have accused Aenlle of creating a toxic work environment and interfering with protected union activities.
Amid the unrest, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved a proposed charter amendment to be placed before the voters, which would give them the power to remove an elected sheriff for just cause. Currently, supervisors do not have the authority to remove Corpus from office.
Voters would decide the measure in a special election that would take place in March 2025.
