A Los Angeles Police Department officer who claimed he was too injured to work allegedly had no trouble jumping out of airplanes, according to prosecutors.
Christopher Brandon Carnahan, 43, of Norwalk, faces two felony counts of insurance fraud after prosecutors allege he went skydiving multiple times in Lake Elsinore and worked out at a fitness center while collecting disability benefits for an injury he reportedly exaggerated.
Carnahan claimed he hurt his left elbow while on duty in May 2023 and was placed on total temporary disability status. Under that designation, officers receive 100% of their base salary tax-free for up to a year, then two-thirds of their salary after that if the injury continues.
Carnahan was arrested on Wednesday and is being held on $100,000 bail. His arraignment date has not yet been set. If convicted on both counts, he faces up to six years in county jail.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman addressed the case directly. “This case is about honesty and accountability,” Hochman said in a statement. “Claiming to be temporarily totally disabled and collecting disability benefits intended for injured workers while engaging in physically demanding activities like skydiving is a crime. This is an officer who knows the law and understands the standards he is sworn to uphold.”
Carnahan’s case is not an isolated incident. According to the Los Angeles Times, several other California first responders have recently faced similar accusations.
In December, a California Highway Patrol officer was sentenced to 270 days in county jail for lying about an injury to claim medical retirement. In May 2025, a former Westminster police officer, Nicole Brown, was charged with 15 felony counts of workers’ compensation and insurance fraud after investigators found she attended the Stagecoach Music Festival, went skiing, ran 5K races, and visited Disneyland while claiming she could not work due to a head injury. She faces up to 22 years in prison and plans to contest the charges. In August 2025, an Los Angeles County Fire Department captain was charged with four felonies after allegedly faking a work injury and forging doctors’ notes to collect thousands in disability payments.
Carnahan’s arraignment is expected to be scheduled in the coming weeks.
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