Bristol police officer Brian Bonati was named Office of the Month in January, and received the Letter of Commendation for his outstanding work performance in a debit card fraud investigation.
According to a press release from the Bristol Police Department, Bonati was on patrol when he received a debit card fraud complaint. The female victim reported that her debit card had $2,000, and explained that the bank was in the process of returning the funds to her, the release said. She then requested a police report, but instead of just filing a report, the release said, Bonati followed up on all the transactions, and viewed surveillance video from the retail stores where those transactions were made. The investigation revealed that the person involved in the fraudulent purchases resembled the victim, who had a history of similar offenses, the release said. After confronting her with the evidence, Bonati later received a confession from the victim, who stated that she made a false complaint, the release said. Bonati then arrested and charged the victim with falsely reporting an incident and criminal attempt to commit third degree larceny.
Bonati’s diligence saved the bank over $2,000 that it was prepared to refund to the victim, the release said. Bonati has served the Bristol Police Department since July 2008