The controversy surrounding the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office continued Monday as District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe cleared Deputy Carlos Tapia of any wrongdoing related to time card fraud. Tapia, who serves as President of the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, had been accused of felony grand theft and surrendered on November 12.
Sheriff Christina Corpus had consulted with the DA before ordering Tapia’s arrest, but Wagstaffe’s statement on Monday revealed that the investigation into the alleged timecard fraud was insufficient. After a thorough review, the DA concluded there was no crime, noting that the errors found in Tapia’s timecard entries did not cause any financial loss to the Sheriff’s Office.
“We concluded that there simply wasn’t a crime here,” said Wagstaffe. The DA’s office conducted a comprehensive investigation, including interviews with Tapia, his supervisors, the acting assistant sheriff who led the original inquiry, and human resources officials. They found no evidence of grand theft or any kind of timecard fraud.
Tapia spoke at a press conference following the DA’s announcement, expressing relief but also frustration. “I’m grateful to the DA’s office for recognizing these charges for what they were—another attempt at retaliation by Sheriff Corpus,” Tapia said. “Despite the personal stress, I love my job and I’m proud to serve the people of San Mateo County.”
The Deputy Sheriff’s Association is now calling for a civil rights investigation into the actions of the Sheriff’s Office. Tapia’s arrest came just hours before an independent investigation into Sheriff Corpus was released, detailing accusations of inappropriate behavior, retaliation, and offensive language used by Corpus.
Sheriff Corpus denied the allegations and pledged to continue with a separate internal review of Tapia’s case. She emphasized that the timecard errors were clerical mistakes and that Tapia was entitled to use part of his working hours for union activities, which did not result in a monetary loss.
Wagstaffe also noted that while warrantless arrests are legal, it is unusual for such action to be taken before a thorough investigation. He expressed that proper procedures should have been followed.
Tapia’s union condemned the arrest as an attempt to stifle dissent and criticized the sheriff for creating a culture of fear and retaliation. San Mateo County Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller joined calls for Corpus to resign, denouncing her decision to arrest Tapia without sufficient evidence.