Santa Maria, Calif. – Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office detectives have arrested Custody Sergeant Jeffrey Koeller following a criminal investigation that revealed he engaged in fraudulent timecard activity.

On August 6, 2026, Koeller surrendered to detectives at the Santa Maria Substation at 812 W. Foster Road pursuant to an arrest warrant. He was later booked at the San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of 504 PC- Embezzlement by Public Officer, 487(a) PC- Grand Theft, and 470(d) PC- Forgery. His bail has been set at $100,000.

This investigation and a parallel administrative investigation stem from a comprehensive review of overtime coding practices that the Sheriff’s Office initiated following the January 2026 arrest of former Custody Sergeant Segun Ogunleye, who is accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $175,000 in earnings through falsified timecards.

Following that arrest, the Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive review of 688 timecards containing overtime entries. That review identified only one additional timecard with any significant anomalies, leading investigators to open a second criminal investigation that resulted in this arrest.

The investigation determined that Koeller fraudulently claimed and received more than $93,000 worth of compensation for time he did not work. At the time of the alleged misconduct, he was serving as a Custody Sergeant assigned to the Northern Branch Jail.

In addition to completing its criminal investigation, the Sheriff’s Office has implemented enhanced internal review controls and oversight measures designed to strengthen accountability, improve timecard review processes by supervisors, and help prevent any similar misconduct. The administrative investigation is ongoing and Koeller remains 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,” said Sheriff Bill Brown. “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.”