CONTACT US

Contact Form

    News Details

    Ex-Fountain Valley police officer charged with felonies tied to missed court appearances
    • April 7, 2026

    A former Fountain Valley police officer has been charged with two felonies after he allegedly claimed to attend traffic court hearings he did not appear at, leading to dozens of dismissed cases, prosecutors announced.

    Stuart Robert Chase, 50, of Corona, is charged with one count of grand theft and one count of filing a false claim to a government entity, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

    The Fountain Valley Police Department opened an internal affairs investigation after noticing irregularities in Chase’s time records, prosecutors said.

    Investigators allege that between Aug. 4, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2023, Chase received $2,590.93 in overtime and compensatory time for 12 court appearances he reported attending, despite court records showing he was not present. He is also accused of missing 24 additional traffic court appearances while on duty during his regular shifts.

    As a result, 27 traffic cases were dismissed, authorities said.

    If convicted, Chase faces up to three years in state prison.

    He has since resigned from the department.

    The case has been referred to the state’s Peace Officers Standards and Training commission for a review of his certification, prosecutors said.

    ​ Orange County Register 

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    News