Charge: Jailer faked military deployment for paid year off
A King County jail officer accused of faking military deployment to receive leave payments has been charged with felony theft.
King County prosecutors contend Jose Abarca - described in court documents as a jailer and Washington National Guard member - forged military orders to obtain leave from his county job.
Abarca is alleged to have gone so far as to claim he was deployed to Germany for 13 months. In fact, prosecutors contend he spent less than a month in training, then failed to show up to work while collecting paychecks all the while.
Including pay for 33 other days of falsely obtained leave, Abarca is alleged to have bilked King County out of $110,000 during the fraud. According to charging documents, Abarca also accrued $15,000 worth of vacation and sick time.
"The defendant was an officer for the King County Department of Adult Detention and submitted false military leave reports to avoid working for over a year," Senior Deputy Prosecutor Melinda Young told the court. "His crimes should be considered a severe abuse of public trust."
Writing the court, a Seattle detective claimed Abarca submitted a set of falsified orders in February 2010. After that fake deployment, the detective continued, Abarca filed eight leave requests for shorter period of time.
At the time, Abarca was actually being discharged from the National Guard for medical reasons, the detective continued. He was not allowed to attend drills or training for much of that time.
Abarca has been charged with first-degree theft and forgery. He has not been jailed in the case.
King County prosecutors contend Jose Abarca - described in court documents as a jailer and Washington National Guard member - forged military orders to obtain leave from his county job.
Abarca is alleged to have gone so far as to claim he was deployed to Germany for 13 months. In fact, prosecutors contend he spent less than a month in training, then failed to show up to work while collecting paychecks all the while.
Including pay for 33 other days of falsely obtained leave, Abarca is alleged to have bilked King County out of $110,000 during the fraud. According to charging documents, Abarca also accrued $15,000 worth of vacation and sick time.
"The defendant was an officer for the King County Department of Adult Detention and submitted false military leave reports to avoid working for over a year," Senior Deputy Prosecutor Melinda Young told the court. "His crimes should be considered a severe abuse of public trust."
Writing the court, a Seattle detective claimed Abarca submitted a set of falsified orders in February 2010. After that fake deployment, the detective continued, Abarca filed eight leave requests for shorter period of time.
At the time, Abarca was actually being discharged from the National Guard for medical reasons, the detective continued. He was not allowed to attend drills or training for much of that time.
Abarca has been charged with first-degree theft and forgery. He has not been jailed in the case.
I'll take his job...
Nice story about Mr. Abarca... how about a nice picture of him too?
Put him in there and throw the keys away,damn cheater !
Too bad he's unlikely to have to spend time with people that didn't like him when he was a 'jailer'!
Well, all they have to do is move him to the other side of the fence and case closed
shame on him, and how stupid is the county not asking for a copy of his orders before they paid him for leave time?
That must be a nice job where your civilian job pays you while you are deployed.....and does the NG even got to Germany? Â The Reservist and active duty do but not sure about NG.
 @Audrey Bielfelt Yes the NG goes overseas. My brother is a captain and has been on tours to Kosovo and Iraq
 @Audrey Bielfelt Maybe they updated the story, KOMO does that, but it does say he submitted falsified orders to get the leave. Â
Here's a question:. If he was deployed the N.G. and they pay him while deployed why would he entiteled to pay from the county? If he really went to Germany he would also be TDY.(more money)
 @BocaBob Some agencies pay the difference between the military pay and their normal salary. So he could have been getting money, but probably not his entire salary from the county.
In addition to the charges that the county would have against him, isn't there something in the military codes that he could be charged with regarding the forged orders? Does anyone out there know?
 @downtown Yes, the UCMJ does have something about signing false documents and forgery. Â
@Datsuyama Thanks. I suppose the military will want a crack at him as well as the county. This guy could be in some real hot water.
 @downtown  @Datsuyama The hotter the better!
I'm curious as to how many others knew about his little scheme and didn't say anything. I have a hard time believing that he pulled a stunt like this without anyone's knowledge.
Hey Yo Mama:
It says he falsified orders. Forgerers don't usually get caught right away.
Man I heard of people doing stuff to get out of being deployed but dang! faking a deployment to get out of work. I hope he has to pay double the amout back with intrerst.
Good luck getting that money back!
Hang'em high! Your tax dollars at work.
Just another criminal on the other side of the law
More corruption from those within our criminal justice system. Â Â Gee..... shocker. Â
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Funny how those with badges are more likely percentage wise to commit crimes then the general public. Its actually not funny now that all budgets are effected by all these corrupt officers and jail guards.Â
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 @Andrew Bush You have proof to back your garbage up?
http://www.policemisconduct.net/ Â This is a good place to see what police are doing around the country and you can see local stories that are backed up.Â
 @DarkParty Go away?  What a strange thing to say. Â
 @swan Now THAT's an interesting website!!!
 @scared_citizen You can go away too
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@swan  Things that make you go hhhmnmmm.
 @DarkParty Actually yes.  I am receiving all disciplinary action taken against all Seattle police officers by name and policy broken.  Its disgraceful how many crimes they have committed and how lite they have been punished. Â
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From alcohol to drugs from theft to lies on reports to false arrests beating citizens, spousal abuse....... Seattle police have done it all and the majority still have a badge and the ability to take peoples freedom. Â
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Talk about the lowest possible standards. Â Â
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I can't post all that here. You can make your own public disclosure request through the  records department at the Seattle Police department like I did. Â
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 @DarkParty Much as you might like to make others think I'm Andrew, I'm not. Just someone who knows how to read and research and not behave like you, especially when doing so anonymously. As for @Surveyor1, you have to scroll down and read the entire first post...the information you want it there. Perhaps you are ignorant because you lack critical thinking skills - and the ability to understand what you are reading. I'm ranting, I apologize. But such ludicrous conversations inserted into what could and should have been a valuable comment thread irritate me beyond reason. If you can't have an intelligent exchange of ideas, why waste everyone's time. You come off looking ridiculous. I'm done. I won't be back. Y'all have a great life.
 @Andrew Bush  @DarkParty You may not be able to post names here, but there is no reason to, anyway. You asserted that "those with badges are more likely percentage wise to commit crimes then the general public" so it's only fair that you post the numbers. You are free to post numbers. What is the percentage of those with badges who have committed crimes compared to the percentage of the general public that has committed the same type of crimes?
Well, if you want the facts maybe you should take the time. The person who made the post gave you the information you need if you are determined to prove him wrong.
@Louise - Â Until Andrew cares to elaborate on his facts and not just say "look it up yourself" all he is doing is giving his opinion and shouldn't think that we are stupid or ignorant because we choose not to believe him. He may not have to list names on this blog, but he can certainly take a second to at least tell us what information he is citing so that we actually can look it up.
@Andrew Bush You didn't answer the question. Do you have proof to back up your assertation that those with badges are more likely to commit crimes than those who don't? We all get that you have a serious beef with law enforcement, but just because you say something doesn't make it true. And we are not ignorant because we don't share your opinion.
 @Louise Did you make another account Andrew?
 @DarkParty  @Andrew Bush @DarkParty -  it's called the facts, not an opinion (yours). You can either go do your own research or be regarded as either ignorant, lazy or a county employee with your own agenda for your comments. @Andrew Bush is under no obligation to provide you with anything, be it facts, garbage, lies or opinion. As for me, I choose to trust @AndrewBush based upon what is reported daily about government employees in King County and Seattle.
 @Andrew Bush Your the one who keeps saying you have proof, but when called on it you say go get your own proof?
 @DarkParty There are restrictions on how this information is used when you make the request. Â
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Go and get the info yourself. Â You do it through email. Â
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Otherwise stop wasting my time and sit in complete wonder while you deny everything.Â
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Is there some reason that you are afraid to make this request? Â Do you have a record? Â Â
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Are you afraid of the truth? Â
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 @Andrew Bush Where is it written that you can not post publicly available documentation?
 @DarkParty Nooo.. I can not legally post officers names on a blog.  You can request it yourself. Â
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You refuse. Â Ignorance is a choice. Â Â
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 @Andrew Bush It's still garbage, if you have the proof, post it. Why would you bother getting the information if you are just going to keep it to yourself?
 @DarkParty Of course its not worth your time to file a PDR. Â
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You would rather attack others comments than get the facts yourself. Â
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Gee you sounded so sure of yourself when you said it was garbage. Â
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 @Andrew Bush So it's only "Your" word we have to go by, Sorry, not worth my time to file a PDR.
Wow! I put quarters I find on the bus at the end of the line in the farebox cuz I don't want to jeopardize my sweet gig with the County. Holy Moly! What kajones!Â
Wouldn't you think that someone at King County administration would have verified his deployment? More proof that nobody is minding the store these days.Â
In 13 months he received $110,000 and earned $15,000 worth of vacation/sick time? Â
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Since when do jail guards make the kind of money?
 @sfvcyco Good question. What else is in a jail guard's job description that justifies that kind of money? At least we know what he'll be doing now for $0, but still costing the jail, albeit in incarceration costs instead of unjustified wages.
@JAP506 He should be incarcerated but my bet is that his union protects him and gets him a high priced attorney who will try to say that his job as a guard gave him PTSD and caused him to do this and all he needs is treatment (at the county's expense of course) and he should be paid while being treated. Sounds reasonable to me.
 @JAP506  @sfvcyco The $110K likely includes all benefits, like medical, retirement, 401k, etc. It's not like he was getting a $9,000 check every month.
@sfvcyco @MtnGoatJoe @JAP506 Absolutely 100 percent correct on your last statement sfvcyco.Â
 @MtnGoatJoe  @JAP506 Didn't say he received a check in that amount, even including medical, retirement, 401k, etc., $110,000 is an obscene amount for a low level public servant, or pretty much any public servant, in my opinion.  And $15k worth of vacation/sick time? Â
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This is everything that is wrong with our public pension system, which is 100% funded by our tax dollars. Â
 @sfvcyco "Since when do jail guards make the kind of money?" You are not paying attention.