Jacob Finerty, from his 2006 high school football photo
Santa Barbara – The good men and women of the Santa Barbara Police Department, currently under the leadership of Interim Chief John Crombach following the recent retirement of Chief Cam Sanchez–himself no stranger to controversy and considerable public criticism for the way he handled certain financial matters in his office—may have a collective red face with the embarrassing news that one of their own may soon be behind bars.
According to Chief Cromback, 28-year-old Jacob Finerty, who served three years in a Santa Barbara Police Department uniform before taking a disability leave in 2014, “has been the subject of an investigation” since the time he filed a worker’s compensation claim that year.
Santa Barbara Assistant District Attorney Gary Gemberling has brought felony criminal charges against Finerty for making fraudulent oral statements and making fraudulent written statements.
According to Crombach, once signs of fraudulent statements began to surface, the investigation “began to take a criminal turn.” After the California Department of Insurance “declined to take the case,” the SBCO D.A.’s office stepped in without regard to the fact that Finerty was in the public employ as a law enforcement officer.
Once the case wound up on the desk of District Attorney Joyce Dudley, she took the opportunity to address the issue of other agencies failing to prosecute such cases, remarking to the media “we make it clear we’re in the business of investigating fraud on every level.”
Finerty, a resident of Hesperia, California, is not yet in custody, but presumably may soon be residing once again in Santa Barbara, where the County Jail is located.
