A former D.C. police officer who pleaded guilty to charges related to falsifying logs of District speed cameras was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation, according to court records.
David Cephas, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police Department as part of the plea agreement this year, faced three second-degree fraud charges. D.C. Superior Court Judge Yvonne Williams gave him a 180-day suspended jail sentence, and ordered him on probation for two years and to perform 90 hours of community service.
According to court records, the 22-year department veteran was supposed to be monitoring photo-radar equipment during overtime shifts and taking test photographs once an hour with the cameras to ensure they were working properly. In 2008 and 2009, prosecutors said Mr. Cephas failed to take the once-an-hour shots on 33 occasions and covered up the mistakes by rolling back the clock on the radar unit in order to make it appear he had properly tested the machines.
When an audit uncovered the falsified records, the department ended up having to refund more than $17,000 in traffic ticket fines issued from the cameras he was operating.
Mr. Cephas was also ordered to pay $17,550 in restitution.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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