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Go to MontereyParkPress.com for Monterey Park Specific News M O N D AY, J U N E 28 - J U LY 04, 2021
V O L U M E 9, N O. 26
Twin Orange County deputies plead guilty to fraudulently obtaining military leave paid for by county taxpayers BY CITY NEWS SERVICE
T
win brothers who worked as Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies admitted Tuesday in court they submitted fraudulent military orders to obtain leave from the department. Taylor Morgan and Tyler Morgan, both 26 and residents of Long Beach, were charged with defrauding taxpayers by submitting the fraudulent orders so they could obtain leave without sacrificing their vacation days, according to Ciaran McEvoy, a public information officer for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. As Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies, Taylor and Tyler received 30 days of leave per year that could be used for vacations, military leave and other personal reasons, as well as an additional 30 days of leave per year that allowed them to fulfill their active duty obligations with their reserve units with the United States Marine Corps in Camp Pendleton.
| Photo courtesy of Orange County Sheriff’s Department
From May 2017 to January 2020, Tyler Morgan submitted 24 fraudulent military orders to the sheriff’s depart-
ment to obtain military leave from the department, while Taylor Morgan submitted 25 fraudulent military orders.
In that span of time, neither man had been ordered by the Marine Corps to fulfill active duty obligations with their
reserve units. The fraudulent orders appeared to have been authorized by a Marine Corps official and had the
Department of Defense’s seal on them, according to McEvoy. In total, Taylor Morgan received 48 days of military leave to which he was not entitled, which resulted in a loss of $14,000 to Orange County. Tyler Morgan received 64 days of fraudulently obtained military leave resulting in a loss of $32,400 to the county. Both men pleaded guilty in separate hearings to one count each of information charging them with unlawful possession of an authentication feature of the United States, which is a misdemeanor offense. Taylor Morgan was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home detention and ordered to pay $14,000 in restitution. Tyler Morgan was sentenced to one year of probation, eight months of home detention and ordered to pay $32,400 in restitution. “A misdemeanor was the right call in this case,” said attorney Paul S. Meyer, who represented the Morgans. “We appreciate the thorough review of the United States Attorney’s Office.”