A D.C. Superior Court Judge Issues Arrest Warrants for Six Metropolitan Police Department Members
On August 18, 2026, a D.C. Superior Court judge signed arrest warrants for six current and former members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District. The individuals, namely Peter Sheldon, Frantz Fulcher, Thomas Krmenec, Bernadette Richardson, Dorrie Smith Cleere, and Johnnie Dyer, are accused of fraudulently claiming overtime and regular-duty hours they did not work in 2024.
The charges brought against the six individuals include first-degree fraud, first-degree theft, forgery, and uttering. U.S. Attorney for the DC, Jeanine Pirro, emphasized the importance of upholding public trust in law enforcement, stating, “These MPD members betrayed that trust by scheming to collect unearned income, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
According to D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb’s office, the fraudulent scheme cost District taxpayers $441,137 in 2024 alone. The individuals involved and their alleged amounts are detailed as follows:
- Former Sergeant Frantz Fulcher: $174,915.39
- Officer Thomas Krmenec: $89,478.00
- Officer Dorrie Smith Cleere: $87,397.65
- Former Senior Police Officer Bernadette Richardson: $43,351.68
- Johnnie Dyer (civilian): $27,721.59
- Former Lieutenant Peter Sheldon: $18,272.72
The defendants, assigned to the Fifth District Administrative Office, allegedly submitted false claims through MPD’s Timesheet Manager Application. Methods of fraud included claiming overtime while outside the District, forging signatures, and engaging in secondary employment while claiming compensation.
Investigators utilized various data sources to reconstruct activities, revealing deliberate falsification. The six individuals submitted over 11,000 hours and were paid more than $935,000 in 2024, with approximately half of those hours deemed fraudulent.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division initiated the probe, uncovering irregularities that led to the investigation. Attorney General Schwalb condemned the actions of the officers, emphasizing that no one is above the law.
As of Tuesday afternoon, three of the six individuals were reportedly in custody, with warrants executed for the others. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Morris, with support from the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.