Former Antioch police officer Morteza Amiri has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for multiple offenses, including civil rights violations, record falsification, and wire fraud. The sentence was delivered by Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White following two trials that led to Amiri’s convictions.
In August 2024, a jury found Amiri guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy related to a scheme where he obtained pay raises from the Antioch Police Department by paying someone else to earn a university degree on his behalf. Subsequently, in March 2025, another jury convicted him of depriving an individual of their rights under color of law and falsifying records during a July 2019 arrest.
“Amiri misused his police dog to inflict unnecessary and excessive force against a victim and cheated his way into a pay raise,” stated United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “These crimes are appalling in themselves, but even more so that they were committed by a police officer.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani commented on the case: “Amiri betrayed the public’s trust, abused his authority, and violated the civil rights of a person he was sworn to protect.”
Court documents revealed that Amiri used excessive force during an incident on July 24, 2019. He stopped bicyclist A.A., allegedly for not having a bicycle light on, then assaulted him physically before deploying his K-9 unit unnecessarily. Amiri later shared photos of A.A.’s injuries with other officers.
Additionally, evidence presented at trial showed that Amiri engaged in fraudulent activities involving educational incentives offered by local police departments. Instead of completing coursework himself for financial benefits tied to obtaining degrees, he hired others to do so.
Alongside the prison term, Judge White imposed three years of supervised release on Amiri and ordered restitution payments totaling $13,706—$3,180 to victim A.A., and $10,526 to the City of Antioch.
The prosecution was handled by the National Security & Special Prosecutions Section along with the Oakland Branch of the United States Attorney’s Office following investigations by the FBI and Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
This case is part of broader investigations into misconduct within Antioch and Pittsburgh police departments resulting in charges against ten current or former officers for various offenses ranging from excessive force use to fraud.
