CHP Officer Arrested In Banning: Fraud Investigation

BANNING, CA — A Banning California Highway Patrol officer was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of workers compensation insurance fraud, San Gorgonio Pass CHP Commander Captain Mike Alvarez announced.

Kathleen Beardsley, 46, was arrested by CHP investigators without incident at the Banning Police Department and was booked into Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of three felony charges tied to fraud as well as a felony grand theft charge, jail records show. Her bail was set at $10,500. A court date has not been set, according to jail records.

The arrest was the culmination of a seven-month long investigation by the CHP’s Workers Compensation Fraud Investigations Unit based at the agency's Sacramento headquarters, according to Alvarez.

The investigation began after Beardsley filed a workers compensation insurance claim on February 14, 2019. In October, a tip was received by the investigations unit about possible illicit activities by Beardsley. Surveillance was used on her by investigators, and she was observed "engaging in activities inconsistent with the limitations outlined in her claim," according to Alvarez's announcement.

Beardsley, a 25-year veteran of the CHP, had been assigned to the San Gorgonio Pass Area since 2016. As a result of her arrest, she has been placed on administrative leave and her peace officer powers removed, according to Alvarez.

In addition to the criminal investigation, the CHP is also conducting an internal administrative investigation, according to Alvarez, although details were not released.