Two veteran Los Angeles police officers have been arrested following an internal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit.

The unit initiated investigations on Dec. 11 stemming from medical claims filed by Officer John Hall, 45, and Officer Ralph Mendoza, 44. The officers filed medical claims in late 2012. Investigators working with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Healthcare Fraud Division established probable cause to believe that Hall knowingly provided false testimony during a deposition related to his industrial injury claim, under the penalty of perjury, and received benefits to which he was not entitled.  With Mendoza, the investigation revealed that he falsified medical documents related to his industrial injury claim and received benefits to which he was not entitled. As a result of the investigations arrest warrants were obtained for both officers.

“Public trust is at the very core of the police profession, and when that trust is violated we must employ every measure to restore it,” LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said.  “I am troubled whenever our officers are accused of violating that trust. As the chief, it is my duty to ensure that we fully investigate these cases of alleged misconduct and to take appropriate action when the misconduct is found to be true.”

Hall, a 19-year veteran of the LAPD, was last assigned to Emergency Services Division. He has been charged with four felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud, insurance fraud, grand theft and attempted perjury. Hall was booked for the charges and bail was set at $80,000. The officer has been assigned to his residence pending the outcome of the criminal and administrative investigations.

Mendoza, a 13-year veteran of the LAPD, was last assigned to the Hollenbeck Division’s Patrol Unit. He has been charged with two felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud and grand theft, and was held on $40,000 bail. The officers is currently relieved from duty pending the outcome of a Department Board of Rights.

The LAPD’s Workers Compen-sation Fraud Unit was expanded in late 2008 to investigate workers’ compensation fraud and other allegations involving abuse of benefits by employees. The goal of the department is to aggressively investigate fraud and abuse of benefits within the workers’ compensation system.