A Fayetteville police officer was arrested, the police department announced Thursday.
Sergeant Brian Gerber was charged with 12 counts of fraud for obtaining property by false pretense. Police Chief Kemberle Braden said Gerber's alleged actions resulted in more than $20,000 in damages.
Braden said Gerber had been with the police department since 2017 and was promoted in 2023. The charges related to Gerber's employment as a security guard at the Marketfair Shopping Center in Fayetteville.
Gerber is no longer employed in the department.
“It's imperative that we as police officers have definitions that we work with,” Braden said. “Defining ethics is one of those things.”
“To me, the definition of ethics is the expectation or code of conduct that is placed on you because of your role, title, position or profession. There are certain things that the average citizen can probably do or get away with that we cannot allow our police officers to do.”
Braden said this Gerber is not the first officer he has had to fire due to a criminal charge. Last fall, Izreal Gear-Johnson was indicted for alleged involvement in illegal drugs. In November, Officer Tamyra Billings was taken into custody for obstruction of justice and marijuana possession.
Gerber's first court appearance is scheduled for Friday. He was released on $26,000 unsecured bail.
The investigation is ongoing.
