For release on November 27, 2013       CONTACT:   Daniel Rothbach   Deputy District Attorney   Central Felony Unit   (408) 808-3786       SAN JOSE POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH WRITING FAKE TICKETS       A veteran San Jose police officer was charged with six felonies this week, suspected of writing bogus traffic tickets against two people involved with him in a lawsuit five years ago.   At the time of an alleged moving violation, one of the victims was in Texas.   George Chavez, 51, is charged with three felony counts of False Personation Exposing the Victim to Liability, and three felony counts of Filing a False Report. He was arrested last night and released on $60,000 bail. His next court date is on Dec. 10, 2013. If convicted, he could face six years and four months in state prison.   “We place important responsibilities upon police officers and give them the authority to carry out those responsibilities,’’ prosecutor Daniel Rothbach said. “When they abuse that authority we must hold them accountable, just as we would any individual.”   On October 28, 2013, Chavez used his police computer to find identifying information about the two out-of-county victims. He then used that identifying information to write one fake traffic citation and two fake parking citations, for illegally parking in a handicapped zone. On the traffic citation, he falsely signed the name of the victim whose information he had looked up, and also falsely signed the name of another San Jose Police officer as the issuer of the citation. On the parking citations, he falsely signed the name of a different San Jose Police officer. Both people targeted by the false citations had been involved in a civil lawsuit with Chavez in 2008.   The crimes were discovered when the officer whose name Chavez had falsely placed on the traffic citation was notified of the citation to correct an administrative error. That officer recognized that he had not issued the citation, and brought it to the attention of his supervisor. This initiated a police investigation into Chavez, and the parking citations were then discovered from the same date.
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