Trial begins for former Antioch police officer accused of college degree fraud

OAKLAND — Jurors will hear evidence this week of an alleged college degree scam hatched within the ranks of two East Contra Costa police departments, and centered on the ex-wife of a former Pittsburgh officer who is now a star witness for the government.

Last year, six former police officers from Antioch and Pittsburg were charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud by arranging for someone else to take online courses for them so they could get incentive pay raises that both cities offered to employees who earned college degrees. Five of the six have since pleaded guilty and have either been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing.

That leaves only Morteza Amiri, a former Antioch police canine officer whose trial began Monday with a rundown of evidence expected from both his lawyers and federal prosecutors. Amiri faces two felony charges, but this case is far from his biggest legal problem: He faces pending charges accusing him of ordering his police dog to bite people for sport as part of a conspiracy with two former colleagues to violate residents’ civil rights.

At the start of Amiri’s trial Monday morning, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Cheng told jurors they would “follow the money trail” through Venmo payments to an Oakley woman who was once married to former Pittsburgh police officer Patrick Berhan. After Berhan confessed to being unfaithful in their relationship, she came forward to the FBI, Amiri’s attorney told jurors Monday.

Cheng described it as a clear-cut case, saying the government had verbatim receipts, as well as text messages from Amiri’s phone and a paper trail showing he had purportedly earned a college degree. Amiri and his colleagues chose California Coast University, an online school that allowed for a fairly streamlined process for earning a bachelor’s degree and even allowed credits to be transferred from the police academy, according to prosecution witnesses.

The messages, which include Amiri telling the woman “don’t tell anyone” and acknowledging that she could lose her job over the scam, amount to Amiri “in her own words describing exactly what she did,” Cheng said.

Amiri’s attorney, Timothy Crudo, urged jurors to “keep an open mind” and reminded the jury that the government must prove Amiri had a “specific intent to deceive and defraud.” Otherwise, he said, their case falls apart.

“You’re not going to hear credible evidence that there was a general agreement among all of these people,” Crudo said.

The government’s first witness, retired Antioch police Capt. Trevor Schnitzius, testified that Amiri received a raise after submitting paperwork showing he had a bachelor’s degree from CCU. The idea behind the incentive program was that “a well-educated cop is a better cop,” he said.

“Would the city have paid this incentive if the officer had not obtained the degree?” Cheng asked.

“No,” Schnitzius replied.

Before the day was over, Berhan’s ex-wife took the stand and testified that she, Berhan and Amiri lived together and that another former officer facing charges in a separate case, Timothy Manly, talked about the educational incentive program. She said Berhan pressured her to “do my part” financially and that for much of their relationship he had complete control of her finances. She had to ask Berhan or her mother for money to go on outings, she testified.

In March, Berhan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 2.

Cheng asked her toward the end of Monday’s hearing how close she and Amiri were when they shared a home.

“He was almost like family, almost like an older brother,” she said.

The trial continues on Tuesday morning.

Originally published: August 5, 2024 at 3:38 p.m.