NLV officer accused of fraud no longer on force

By Mary Manning

Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 | 3:22 p.m.

A former North Las Vegas police officer has been fired for allegedly purchasing fuel for his personal vehicle on a department credit card.

Benjamin Miles Cordova had been videotaped three times fueling his blue Chevrolet Colorado four-door pickup truck using another officer's credit card at two gas stations in Henderson and North Las Vegas, an arrest report indicated.

The administrative investigation is separate from a criminal case that's in the hands of the Clark County District Attorney's Office, police said. Details of the police administrative investigation won't be released because it's a personnel matter.

He was arrested July 22 and booked into the North Las Vegas Detention Center. At that time he was placed on paid administrative leave until the administrative investigation was completed.

Cordova was booked on three counts of credit card fraud and three counts of receiving property obtained by unlawful use of a credit card. All counts are felonies.

North Las Vegas police had launched an investigation after another officer discovered that a department credit card was missing from a patrol car and notified his superiors.

During the investigation, police also learned that Cordova's driver's license had expired on Aug. 13, 2007, but he was still driving his own vehicle and department vehicles.