San Jose Officer Arrested for Revenge by Ticket

Officer Charles Chavez, 51, was arrested last week on suspicion of writing a bogus traffic ticket to an opponent in a civil suit that stemmed from an auto collision more than five years ago. Chavez also wrote two fake tickets to his own attorney in the case, according to Santa Clara County prosecutors.

A San Jose police officer’s attempt to gain revenge against a foe in a legal spat backfired and landed him behind bars, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Officer Charles Chavez, 51, was arrested last week on suspicion of writing a bogus traffic ticket to an opponent in a civil suit that stemmed from an auto collision more than five years ago. Chavez also wrote two fake tickets to his own attorney in the case, according to Santa Clara County prosecutors.

Deputy District Attorney Daniel Rothbach said Chavez, unhappy about how the suit was resolved, used his police computer to find identifying information on his two victims, then last month sent them the fake tickets — one for a moving violation and two for illegally parking in a spot reserved for disabled motorists. Chavez allegedly signed another police officer’s name to the citations.

The false tickets came to light when the second officer was asked to correct an error on one of them. That officer realized the citation was not his, and an internal investigation ensued.

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