NOPD Officer Faces 350 Charges After Cameras Showed Him Home During Overtime Hours

A New Orleans police officer repeatedly filmed at home during hours his records showed him working is now facing 350 criminal charges in an alleged overtime fraud case.

Senior Police Officer Brandon Coleman, 39, was arrested after Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans Office of Inspector General investigated discrepancies between the overtime he reported and the hours and locations investigators say he actually worked.

Louisiana State Police says Coleman received more than $111,000 in fraudulent overtime payments between December 2024 and December 2025. At his first court appearance, however, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office argued that he collected more than $172,000 he should not have received, according to FOX 8.

Coleman’s attorney, Bobby Hjortsberg, disputes the accusations and called the charges “absolutely baseless,” saying the defense has evidence showing Coleman was working during periods investigators question.

Investigators Say His Hours and Locations Did Not Match

FOX 8 began examining Coleman’s overtime after payroll records showed he was among the New Orleans Police Department’s highest-paid officers. Undercover cameras later recorded him at home on multiple occasions while department records indicated he was already on the clock.

On July 22, 2025, his initial timesheet showed a shift beginning at 6:25 a.m. Video showed Coleman entering his police vehicle at 10:08 a.m., more than three hours later. Coleman discovered one of the undercover cameras on July 28. The following day, records again showed him clocking in at 6:25 a.m., while video captured him leaving home at 7:41 a.m.

Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans Office of Inspector General began a joint investigation in April 2026. Authorities said their review found discrepancies between Coleman’s reported overtime hours and the time he actually worked, as well as differences between locations listed for some overtime assignments and where investigators determined he was.

He Now Faces 325 False-Record Counts

The Louisiana State Police obtained an arrest warrant and took Coleman into custody on August 7. He was booked on 325 counts of filing false public records and 23 counts of public payroll fraud. Coleman also faces one count of theft and one count of malfeasance in office, bringing the total to 350 charges.

At Coleman’s first appearance, the Attorney General’s Office presented a larger figure, telling Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Juana Lombard that he had collected more than $172,000 he should not have received.

Coleman earned approximately $229,000 from NOPD in 2025, more than three times his $68,000 base salary. Judge Lombard found probable cause on all of the charges at Coleman’s first appearance. He subsequently posted a $17,000 bond and was released. FOX 8 reported that he is expected back in court September 9.

His Attorney Says the Hours Can Be Proven

Hjortsberg argues that footage showing Coleman at or leaving his home does not by itself establish that he was not already performing police work. The attorney said Coleman’s responsibilities included Mardi Gras assignments and citywide duties that did not require him to remain at a police station throughout a shift.

He also said the defense expects to present physical evidence showing Coleman was working during times prosecutors contend he was not. NOPD placed him on unpaid administrative leave.

Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the department cooperated with the independent investigation and would continue doing so as the case moves forward.

The Overtime Investigation Has Already Changed NOPD’s System

Coleman is the second NOPD officer arrested following FOX 8’s “Unchecked Overtime” investigation. Former Sgt. Henry Burke was arrested earlier in 2026 in a separate payroll case and was later fired. FOX 8 reported that his case was referred to federal prosecutors.

Internal investigations involving other NOPD officers have also continued. Following the investigative reporting, NOPD expanded its use of biometric time clocks requiring officers to clock in at their assigned locations.

FOX 8 reported that changes to the department’s timekeeping system were credited with reducing overtime spending by more than $8.3 million during the first six months of 2026, a 45% decline according to the Office of Inspector General.

Payroll Records Can Reveal Fraud Before Losses Grow

Public agencies and private employers can reduce payroll fraud by comparing time records with assignment logs, building access, vehicle records and other independently generated information rather than relying on an employee’s submitted timesheet alone.

Repeated shifts that produce unusually high annual hours, frequent manual changes to time records or employees consistently earning multiples of their base salaries can warrant additional review.  Supervisors should not be able to approve unexplained edits without an audit trail, and organizations should regularly review overtime by employee, assignment and approving supervisor to identify unusual concentrations or overlapping shifts.

New Orleans residents and city employees who have information about suspected misuse of public money can report fraud, waste or abuse directly to the New Orleans Office of Inspector General. The office accepts reports online, by email and by telephone, and tips involving suspected public corruption or payroll misconduct can include supporting records or other documentation.