AKRON, Ohio — An Akron police lieutenant was ordered to pay $12,421.31 in restitution to the City of Akron after pleading no contest to one count of criminal mischief, a first-degree misdemeanor, in Akron Municipal Court in April.
The charges related to Farrar's secondary employment and his management of the city's secondary employment program.
Farrar was accused of double-dipping, overcharging local businesses, and costing the city thousands of dollars in lost revenue.
He resigned from the Akron Police Department last fall.
Double-dipping
An internal Akron police report obtained by News 5 said Farrar billed Timbertop Apartments for roughly 43 hours, while he was actually at work at Metro RTA.
The report said Farrar earned $2,150 for work he did not perform.
The investigation also found there were 39 shifts where Farrar left work early while he was on duty for the City of Akron to begin a shift at CIT Outreach, which cost the city $1,990.56.
The report said Metro RTA and Timbertop Apartments declined to prosecute.
Farrar's attorney, Don Malarcik, blamed "sloppy" paperwork.
"No one's complaining about the job that Mark did. No one's saying he wasn't there, performing the services for the secondary jobs that he was hired to do. No one is saying he didn't do that job well."
"They [police officers] run towards danger — and paperwork, sometimes, takes a back seat," Malarcik said.
Businesses overcharged; lost revenue
According to the report, Farrar was also in charge of the city's secondary employment program.
The report said he overcharged two businesses that employed Akron police officers to provide private security.
Farrar overcharged House 330, a community center owned by the LeBron James Family Foundation, $12,987.67, and overcharged Traffic Safety Solutions, an Akron traffic control company, $11,366.28, according to the report.
The report said both of those businesses also declined to prosecute.
Secondary employers are supposed to be charged $15 an hour for use of city police cruisers.
The report said Farrar failed to obtain approval for using his cruiser for secondary employment and failed to collect reimbursement for it from his employers.
The report said the lost revenue cost the city $12,421.31, which is the amount Farrar was ordered to pay the city in restitution.
"Mark should have made sure that that happened. He didn't. He regretted that. He's paid a dear price for that," Malarcik said. "I don't think that there was any criminal intent at all."
Farrar resigned from the force last November.
News 5 reached out to Mark Farrar. He declined our request for an on-camera interview.
News 5 also requested an on-camera interview with Akron Police Chief Brian Harding. His spokesperson declined our request.
