A Kanawha County grand jury indicted a Charleston police officer Friday on felony charges of obtaining money by a fraudulent scheme and computer fraud.

Cpl. Keith O. Peoples, 44, of Charleston, is on paid administrative leave as a result of his indictment, Police Chief Brent Webster confirmed.

Webster would not comment on whether Peoples' indictment was related to "double dipping," or being on the clock for an outside employer while working for the department.

However, the charges against Peoples are the same as those made against former detective James L. "Chip" Nowling in 2004. Last year, a jury found Nowling guilty of both charges in relation to "double dipping," and he was sentenced to three years probation and 300 hours of community service.

Since then, three other former members of the department have been convicted of misdemeanor obtaining by fraudulent schemes for "double dipping."

The indictment against Peoples alleges that he defrauded the Town Center mall of at least $1,000 between Jan. 19, 2000, and Aug. 24, 2004, and that he used the mall's computer system as a part of his alleged scheme.

Jesse Forbes, who along with his father Bill Forbes represents Peoples, said his client is innocent of the charges against him. He noted that Peoples was named the department's Officer of the Year in 2004 and has spent 17 years serving the people of Charleston.

"There are real crimes and real criminals in Charleston. There is a backlog of cases in the prosecutor's office waiting for grand jury presentment," Forbes said. "And we are wasting taxpayers' dollars and judicial resources trying to blame Keith Peoples for a crime he didn't commit."

Webster said an internal investigation into "double dipping," launched in December 2006, is ongoing.

"I don't want to say that it's wrapping up," he said. "I don't want to put a timetable on it, because that would be premature."

The issue of race became intertwined with the department's double-dipping scandal when Nowling filed a complaint with the West Virginia Human Rights Commission in 2004, alleging that he had been singled out for prosecution because he is black.

The following year, the commission found there was probable cause to believe Nowling had been discriminated against, and postponed the case until after his criminal charges had been resolved.

A jury convicted Nowling of illegally earning at least $20,000 by working more than 1,700 overlapping hours over a two-year period.

A hearing on Nowling's discrimination claim is scheduled for September, having been postponed twice this year.

Each of the three former officers who accepted plea deals to misdemeanors - Eric. L. Eagle, Lola Hart and James Sands - is white. Peoples is black.

Prosecutors said Nowling was offered the same deal, but he chose to go to trial instead.

A Kanawha County grand jury indicted a Charleston police officer Friday on felony charges of obtaining money by a fraudulent scheme and computer fraud.

Cpl. Keith O. Peoples, 44, of Charleston, is on paid administrative leave as a result of his indictment, Police Chief Brent Webster confirmed.

Webster would not comment on whether Peoples' indictment was related to "double dipping," or being on the clock for an outside employer while working for the department.

However, the charges against Peoples are the same as those made against former detective James L. "Chip" Nowling in 2004. Last year, a jury found Nowling guilty of both charges in relation to "double dipping," and he was sentenced to three years probation and 300 hours of community service.

Since then, three other former members of the department have been convicted of misdemeanor obtaining by fraudulent schemes for "double dipping."

The indictment against Peoples alleges that he defrauded the Town Center mall of at least $1,000 between Jan. 19, 2000, and Aug. 24, 2004, and that he used the mall's computer system as a part of his alleged scheme.

Jesse Forbes, who along with his father Bill Forbes represents Peoples, said his client is innocent of the charges against him. He noted that Peoples was named the department's Officer of the Year in 2004 and has spent 17 years serving the people of Charleston.

"There are real crimes and real criminals in Charleston. There is a backlog of cases in the prosecutor's office waiting for grand jury presentment," Forbes said. "And we are wasting taxpayers' dollars and judicial resources trying to blame Keith Peoples for a crime he didn't commit."

Webster said an internal investigation into "double dipping," launched in December 2006, is ongoing.

"I don't want to say that it's wrapping up," he said. "I don't want to put a timetable on it, because that would be premature."

The issue of race became intertwined with the department's double-dipping scandal when Nowling filed a complaint with the West Virginia Human Rights Commission in 2004, alleging that he had been singled out for prosecution because he is black.

The following year, the commission found there was probable cause to believe Nowling had been discriminated against, and postponed the case until after his criminal charges had been resolved.

A jury convicted Nowling of illegally earning at least $20,000 by working more than 1,700 overlapping hours over a two-year period.

A hearing on Nowling's discrimination claim is scheduled for September, having been postponed twice this year.

Each of the three former officers who accepted plea deals to misdemeanors - Eric. L. Eagle, Lola Hart and James Sands - is white. Peoples is black.

Prosecutors said Nowling was offered the same deal, but he chose to go to trial instead.

Bill Forbes, a former Kanawha County prosecutor who represented Eagle and Sands, has maintained that the department's investigation and subsequent convictions have been attempts to deflect charges of racism within the department.

"This is all about the media," he said last year. "This is not a real investigation."

Peoples is one of the more visible officers in the department in his role in the Warrants Division.

Charleston Police Lt. Steve Neddo, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 74, described Peoples as an "excellent, dedicated" officer.

"He's excellent in that position [serving warrants]. He knows people, and he's a good officer in the community," Neddo said. "More often than not, if people know that Keith is looking for them, they turn themselves in."

During his trial, Nowling said "double dipping" was common practice in the department during his 13 years on the job. Former police chief Dallas Staples, who testified for the defense during the trial, echoed that contention. However, Kanawha Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey Walker ruled before the trial started that Nowling could not use selective prosecution as a defense in the case.

Prior to making that decision, Walker appointed a special master to examine 12 boxes of documents - including timesheets from the police department, Charleston Town Center mall, Kroger and other places where officers worked security jobs - supplied by the Human Rights Commission for any evidence of additional "double dipping."

The report prepared by the special master, entered under seal but obtained by the Gazette, was a cursory examination of conflicting hours for two officers who worked at Charleston Town Center mall. The report also referred to a list compiled by Human Rights Commission investigators that named Eagle, Hart and Sands as having significant overlapping hours and Peoples as having none.

At the time, Peoples said he was surprised to learn his name was included on the list.

"I've kept calendar books since 1995 of every place I worked, extra jobs and everything," he said. "I can't find any conflicting hours."

Just before Nowling's trial, Charleston Mayor Danny Jones said he would fire any member of the police department indicted on "double-dipping" charges.

Jones did not return repeated calls on Friday.

Neddo said he had thought the department's investigation into "double dipping" had wrapped up, adding that he hopes it ends soon.

"They're doing the right thing to pursue it to the end," he said. "To alleviate the appearance of impropriety, they're going after anyone they can catch."

To contact staff writer Andrew Clevenger, use e-mail or call 348-1723.