The Baltimore State Attorney’s Office say a “no show” city police office was convicted of felony theft and misconduct in office. Police Lieutenant Stephen Bagshaw was convicted Monday of felony theft (over $1,000 but less than $10,000) and misconduct in office.
According to investigators, Bagshaw submitted payroll slips and received payment for hours on 20 separate dates and times between April 6, 2017 and May 13, 2017 for which he did not work and was not entitled to compensation.
“I stepped into the role of State’s Attorney vowing to restore the public’s trust in law enforcement,” said State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. “This is yet another example of our agency’s commitment to weeding out corruption and pursuing justice no matter the individual’s race, gender, creed, or occupational status.”
In late March 2017, Baltimore Police Department (BDP) Internal Affairs Division (IAD) received an anonymous complaint about Bagshaw, alleging that he was never at work when scheduled. At the time, he was assigned as the supervisor of the department’s “Casino Mini District.” An investigation was initiated.
IAD knew Bagshaw was commuting to work from his home across the Bay Bridge in Queen Anne’s County. IAD was able to determine Bagshaw’s actual time within Baltimore City limits for days he was to work through a combination of visual surveillance, use of GPS tracking devices, examination of license plate tag readers on the Bay Bridge, and video surveillance.
IAD also pulled payroll records for both regular paid hours and overtime pay. Bagshaw was paid through a mixture of taxpayer dollars and a special overtime reimbursement fund Horseshoe Casino pays back to the City.
There were discrepancies between what was claimed and what was actually worked for 20 days, totaling an overpayment of $8,859.23. Bagshaw signed for the accuracy of his payroll slips, attesting that he worked the hours and was entitled to pay.
The theft conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Misconduct in office is considered a “common law crime,” and is therefore subject to the complete discretion of the court at sentencing so long as the punishment is not deemed cruel or unusual. Bagshaw is scheduled for sentencing on May 9, 2018. Bagshaw is on leave without pay from the Baltimore Police Department. Sentencing is May 9th. The theft conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Misconduct in office is considered a “common law crime,” and is therefore subject to the complete discretion of the court at sentencing so long as the punishment is not deemed cruel or unusual.