April 1, 2026: Former State Hospital Police Chief, Officer Charged in Felony Timecard Fraud Scheme

The estimated loss exceeded $40,000

LOS ANGELES - A former Metropolitan State Hospital Police chief and one of his officers have been charged with felony grand theft, accused of submitting fraudulent timecards to divert public funds for private gain.

"We will prove this was a coordinated, deliberate scheme between a police chief and his officer to take taxpayer money for work that was never done," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. "This former police chief and officer clocked in for work; little did we know they would allegedly be working for their own private business and not the people of California. They collected government paychecks while conducting their own side-hustle. That's not public service, it's the betrayal of the public's trust, and we will hold them accountable in court."

Donald Santarin Salvador (dob 2/2/82) of Lake Forest, the former Chief of Police for the California Department of State Hospitals in Norwalk, is charged with one count of grand theft in case 26CJCF01967. Former hospital police officer Daniel James Beauregard (dob 12/28/73) of Northridge is charged with one felony count of grand theft.

Salvador is scheduled to be arraigned today in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. He is expected to be released on his own recognizance and required to comply with all laws and court-ordered conditions. Beauregard is set to be arraigned at a later date.

From November 2022 through April 2023, Salvador and Beauregard are accused of scheming to submit timecards for hours that Beauregard did not spend performing police duties. Instead, it is alleged he worked on projects for a private business owned by Salvador, Daly Strategic Group LLC, a security consulting company.

The estimated loss exceeded $40,000.

If convicted as charged, each faces three years in state prison to be served in county jail.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Stefan Mrakich of the Public Integrity Division and was investigated by the Office of Law Enforcement Support of the California Health and Human Services Agency.

The charges in this case are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.