Disabled on Paper, Skydiving in Practice: LAPD Officer Charged With Disability Fraud

_{LAPD Officer Christopher Carnahan skydiving while holding an American flag posted to social media on May 31, 2025 (Instagram)}

By Sean Beckner-Carmitchel

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles Police Department officer has been charged with two felony counts of insurance fraud for allegedly exaggerating an on-duty injury to collect disability benefits. Prosecutors say the officer was skydiving and lifting weights at a fitness center as he was claiming to be totally disabled. The officer was arrested on February 25, and is being held on $100,000 bail.

Christopher Brandon Carnahan, 43, of Norwalk is charged in Los Angeles County Superior Court. His arraignment date has not yet been scheduled. If convicted as charged, Carnahan faces up to six years in prison.

According to prosecutors, Carnahan reported injuring his left elbow on May 22, 2023, while on duty and was subsequently placed on Temporary Totally Disabled, or TTD, status. Prosecutors allege that while receiving disability benefits after claiming he was temporarily totally disabled in May 2023, Carnahan completed numerous skydives at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore and worked out at a fitness center.

“This case is about honesty and accountability,” Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. “Claiming to be temporarily totally disabled and collecting disability benefits intended for injured workers while engaging in physically demanding activities like skydiving is a crime. This is an officer who knows the law and understands the standards he is sworn to uphold.”

Carnahan received $126,995.89 in total pay in 2024 according to Transparent California, a database of public employee salary records.

A semi-professional skydiver and basejumper, a profile of Carnahan says he “When not in the air, he can be found patrolling the streets of Los Angeles as a Police Officer in South Central, cage diving with Great Whites, or just enjoying motorcycle rides along the coast.” The profile says Carnahan has completed more than 1,000 jumps and “truly embraces the #DieLiving #SOFLETElifestyle philosophy every day.” Photos on Carnahan’s Instagram account include photos of him taking selfies in the air. Carnahan is also listed as an athlete and part of the “Apex BASE family,” a company which sells skydiving products.

Apex BASE did not respond immediately to inquiries regarding whether Carnahan was working for the company during the months he was claiming disability. This piece will be updated if they do.

_{Photos of Carnahan skydiving and working out provided by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (Los Angeles County District Attorney)}

The felony warrant for Carnahan states Carnahan first claimed he injured his shoulder in May while breaching a motorhome with a sledgehammer. In July, Carnahan told superiors he had been in constant pain since then. Carnahan was placed on disabled leave until February of 2024.

The warrant says Carnahan completed four skydives at Skydive Elsinore in Elsinore, California in January of 2024. Less than a week later, Carnahan underwent a physical therapy evaluation. He reported his pain at best was 7/10, and at worst 10/10. A 7/10 on that scale is described as “unmanageable,” and a 10/10 is “unable to move.” Four days after that, the warrant says Carnahan completed five skydives.

This pattern repeated, and Carnahan was filmed doing intensive workouts. Carnahan continued to tell doctors he was experiencing pain; his total disability was extended to June of 2024. During that time, the warrant says Carnahan completed at least 21 skydives.

According to the warrant, in late February or early March of 2025 Carnahan met 77″ Division’s commanding officer, and asked if he could skydive into the 77th Division’s 100th Anniversary event being held in November 2025. The commanding officer denied Carnahan’s request. 

Soon after, on March 4, 2025, Carnahan submitted an additional worker’s compensation claim for an on-duty industrial injury. Carnahan claimed he’d been injured in January in the 77th division’s weight room. Carnahan was filmed surreptitiously by investigators with the LAPD several times doing intensive workouts.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s Special Operations Division Major Complaint Unit investigates workers’ compensation fraud, abuse of benefits, and other allegations of criminal misconduct involving Department personnel. The unit investigated Carnahan, according to the LAPD. In a statement from LAPD, the department said that “the Unit is committed to aggressively investigating fraud and benefits abuse to ensure accountability, safeguard public resources, and uphold the integrity of the Department.”