BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Court documents obtained by 23ABC reveal a member of McFarland City Hall admitted to having prior knowledge of allegations made against Arvin Police Chief Scot Kimble and hid that information from background investigators from the Arvin Police Department.
According to the documents, investigators with the Kern County District Attorney's Office went to McFarland City Hall on April 10, 2019 to investigate allegations of misappropriating funds made against Kimble. While there, investigators met with a member of city hall who told them "he was very aware of the allegations," and "kept it concealed from other parties with the City of McFarland," the documents note.
Investigators also said in the documents that this member of city hall told them he "had hidden this investigation from the background investigators who had responded from the Arvin Police Department, when Kimble began the hiring process for the Chief position there."
The document said this member of city hall told investigators he felt Kimble's actions were all "rookie, green decisions," and that he "did not want to see Kimble's career ruined over these indiscretions."
The DA's office announced last Friday it was charging Kimble with a misdemeanor for making false statements and submitting false documents. Kimble accepted a plea of no contest Friday afternoon. He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to provide restitution in the amount of $1,075.47 to the City of McFarland.
The charge was related to Kimble's actions as chief of police at the McFarland Police Department in 2016.
According to the DA's office, during that time, Kimble on multiple occasions asked officers to assist him with housework such as unloading furniture and construction. The DA's office said Kimble would ask officers to do these things while on-duty and they would use city vehicles.
The DA's office said Kimble further assigned an officer to attend training courses out of Kern County during a two-week period during September of 2016, with the intent of having the officer complete construction work on Kimble’s personal home during the evenings.
The DA's office also said Kimble added unearned hours to an officer's payroll time sheets for work performed at his home in Ontario, Calif. Kimble approved and submitted these hours for pay periods between July 3-16, 2016 and September 12-24, 2016, court documents show.
The court documents show that a "Workplace Investigation" report conducted by a third-party investigation firm on June 1. 2017, listed 13 separate allegations against Kimble. According to the report, investigators "sustained findings for each allegation.
As part of Kimble's plea agreement, he is scheduled to resign from the department on March 13.
