County corrections officer charged with computer fraud following arrest
A San Joaquin County jail guard will face computer fraud charges stemming from his arrest last week. More charges could follow.
Correctional Officer Brandon Wolff was arrested on Feb. 1 for allegedly having controlled substances and marijuana and owning an illegal assault rifle, according to a statement by the sheriff's office.
"This behavior will not be tolerated," Sheriff Patrick Withrow said after Wolff's arrest.
The charges filed Monday against Wolff include one count of illegal computer access and fraud, and one count of unauthorized use of computer data, court documents show. However, prosecutors have not filed drug or gun charges against the officer, despite original allegations by police.
His charges are considered "wobblers" and could be charged as misdemeanors or felonies.
The charges read Monday did not specify where the alleged illegal computer use occurred or what data was compromised. Prosecutors believe the illegal activity happened sometime in January 2023.
The prosecutor in the case, Donald Vaughn, would not comment on whether he plans to charge Wolff with drug or weapons crimes, but said the investigation into the officer's conduct is ongoing.
Wolff's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office is carrying out an internal affairs investigation into Wolff's activities, Withrow said last week. He will be on administrative leave until that's concluded.
In addition to Wolff, two correctional officers and one staff member have been placed on paid leave while investigators determine whether they participated in the alleged misconduct.
A spokesman for the sheriff's office could not be reached Monday afternoon to comment on the status of the internal investigation.
Wolff paid $226,000 in bail, court documents show, and appeared out of custody in the courtroom in downtown Stockton. Bail amounts are set by the state and those arrested pay about 1% of the total. They're on the hook for the remainder if they fail to appear.
Wolff will return to court Feb. 22.
Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Arrested San Joaquin corrections officer charged with computer fraud
