Second Santa Barbara County deputy arrested for timecard fraud

August 7, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

For the second time this year, a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputy was arrested for fraud related to his timecards.

Sheriff’s detectives arrested Custody Sergeant Jeffrey Koeller on Thursday. The arrest came a little more than six months after another custody sergeant was arrested over timecard fraud.

Following the January arrest of former Custody Sergeant Segun Ogunleye, who is accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $175,000 in earnings, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office conducted a comprehensive review of overtime coding practices.

The sheriff’s office reviewed 688 timecards containing overtime entries. The review identified one additional timecard with significant anomalies, which led detectives to open a criminal investigation into Koeller. 

Investigators determined Koeller fraudulently claimed and received more than $93,000 worth of compensation for time he did not work. At the time of the alleged fraud, Koeller was serving as a custody sergeant assigned to the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail.

On Thursday, Koeller surrendered to detectives at the Santa Maria Substation located at 812 W. Foster Road pursuant to an arrest warrant. Authorities later booked him in the San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of embezzlement by public officer, grand theft and forgery. 

Koeller’s bail was set at $1,000,000. He currently remains in custody, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office website.

In addition to completing its criminal investigation, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office say it has implemented enhanced internal review controls and oversight measures designed to strengthen accountability, improve timecard review processes by supervisors and help prevent any similar conduct. 

An administrative investigation into Koeller remains ongoing. Koeller is currently on administrative leave.

“This employee’s actions betrayed the public’s trust and our agency. They do not reflect the character of our Sheriff’s Office, or the honest work performed every day by our employees,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement. “The overwhelming majority of our personnel are dedicated public servants of impeccable integrity who serve lawfully and with honor.

“If one of our own violates the trust that has been placed in them, we will investigate thoroughly and hold them accountable to our policies and the law. Furthermore, we will identify any supervisory shortcomings or blind spots and strengthen our systems to prevent any such misconduct from happening again. That is exactly what we are doing in this case.”