Sentencing date set for sergeant in false benefit claims case

The Hamilton police sergeant who submitted false benefit claims, and then tried to blame his 12-year-old daughter, will be sentenced in June.

In a brief Police Services Act conference call this morning, representatives for both the Hamilton Police Service and the defendant chose June 22 as the date Sgt. Jason Howard will learn his fate for falsifying over 20 benefit claims for physiotherapy and other services dating back to 2013. After first blaming his daughter, Howard later changed his story and said the false claims were due to bad bookkeeping and pain medication he was on at the time. The total amount of fraudulent claims filed is $960.

The prosecutor in this case is calling for Howard to be fired, while Howard’s lawyer is asking that Howard keep his job, but be given a demotion.

Howard has been suspended with pay since April 2014. In 2015, he made $121,695.25, plus $575.04 in taxable benefits, according to Ontario’s Sunshine List.