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  "path": "/news/us/benefits-fraudster-lapd-skydiving-disability",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-04T07:11:24.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Benefits fraudster behind £40k scam enjoys lavish lifestyle - while STILL claiming Universal Credit",
    "Benefits cheat collapses in court dock as judge spares her from jail time after £85,000 fraud",
    "Benefits fraudster spared jail after pocketing £70,000 despite owning second home",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nA police officer in Los Angeles, California has been caught skydiving while claiming disability benefits.\n\nChristopher Brandon Carnahan, 43, of Norwalk, was charged Monday for two counts of felony insurance fraud.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe Los Angeles police department (LAPD) officer was collecting full benefits for injured workers while he was seen lifting weights and skydiving.\n\nLos Angeles County District Attorney Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said Carnahan should have known claiming disability benefits while doing physical activity was a crime.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\nHe said: \"This case is about honesty and accountability.\n\n\"Claiming to be temporarily totally disabled and collecting disability benefits intended for injured workers while engaging in physically demanding activities like skydiving is a crime.\n\nThis is an officer who knows the law and understands the standards he is sworn to uphold.\"\n\nCarnahan inured his left elbow while on duty and was placed on Temporary Totally Disabled (TTD) status.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nOfficers on the status can receive 100 per cent of their base salary tax free for up to one year, and then two-thirds of the salary if the injury persists.\n\nThe 18-year veteran of the force had participated in \"many skydives\" at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore, California, according to prosecutors.\n\nAn image shared by Los Angeles County, dated May 2024, showed Carnahan holding dumbbells in each of his hands.\n\nCarnhan is currently being held on $100,000 (£75,116.5) bail.\n\n### LATEST BENEFITS FRAUDSTERS:\n\n\n\n\n  * Benefits fraudster behind £40k scam enjoys lavish lifestyle - while STILL claiming Universal Credit\n  * Benefits cheat collapses in court dock as judge spares her from jail time after £85,000 fraud\n  * Benefits fraudster spared jail after pocketing £70,000 despite owning second home\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHis arraignment is to be scheduled for a later date.\n\nIf found guilty, he faces up to six years in prison, served in county jail.\n\nIn December, Jordan Roy Lester, 45, a California Highway Patrol officer, was sentenced to 270 days in county jail for felony insurance fraud.\n\nHe had told his superiors he could not stand, sit, or do simple household chores without \"significant pain\".\n\nLester had sought to medically retire from the police, which would have resulted in him receiving 85 per cent of his salary for life, tax-free.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHowever, he was seen cutting down trees, stacking firewood, and operating heavy machinery.\n\nAnd in May, a former Westminster, California, police officer was charged with 15 felonies related to workers' compensation insurance fraud.\n\nNicole Brown, 39, of Riverside, claimed she had a head injury which prevented her from working.\n\nShe had in fact been seen skiing, visiting Disneyland and dancing at a music festival.\n\nIf convicted of all charges, she could face up to 22 years in prison.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Los Angeles police officer accused of SKYDIVING while claiming disability benefits"
}