Paul Helring pleaded guilty to defrauding the federal government of thousands after he was accused of clocking hours he never worked
SCRANTON, Pa. — It was a day in federal court for former Scranton Police officer Paul Helring who pleaded guilty to felony charges after he was accused of being paid for work he never did.
According to court paperwork, back in 2020, the Scranton Police Department received federal grants to patrol four different apartment complexes throughout the city, putting 20-year veteran and, at the time, the department’s union president Paul Helring in charge.
Prosecutors say he would schedule and approve the patrol shifts of officers who worked throughout the housing complexes to gain over time, and due to his seniority, Helring also worked the same shifts.
Documents say that on numerous occasions, Helring would sign up for evening or overnight patrols, not go, but report that he did.
He would also go back in the schedule, fill in that he worked, and get paid for it.
After a federal investigation, Prosecutors say they were able to prove Helring’s claim of 526 hours through surveillance video, credit transactions, and overlapping payroll records.
Making more than seventeen thousand dollars for work, they say he never showed up to do.
After pleading guilty to one federal count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, Helring left the courthouse without saying a word.
The former officer is expected back in court for sentencing sometime in early June. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Read More: Former Scranton police officer pleads guilty to felony charges