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Man Charged With Using Memory Of Slain Federal Officer Patrick Underwood To Fraudulently Raise Money

OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- A former special police officer from Washington D.C. is accused of fraud in connection with a scheme to raise money online purportedly for the family of slain federal officer Patrick Underwood who was shot dead in Oakland in May.

Dominic Deandre Gregory, 27, was charged with wire fraud in a complaint filed September 28 and unsealed on Wednesday, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California David Anderson and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet.

The complaint states that Gregory set up a GoFundMe page on May 30, a day after Underwood was killed outside the federal building in Oakland, allegedly by a follower of the alt-right, extremist "Boogaloo" movement. Gregory represented on the fundraiser that he was an Underwood family member and the funds would be used to pay for Underwood's funeral, as well as expenses for Underwood's wife and children, the complaint stated.

The 57-year-old Underwood was unmarried and had no children and according to the complaint, Gregory has no known connection to Underwood's family. The complaint also alleges that even after the GoFundMe account was deactivated, Gregory encouraged donors to make contributions using an alternative payment service.

Gregory made his initial court appearance Wednesday morning and was released on $25,000 bond. His next court appearance was scheduled for November 2. If convicted of the charge, Gregory faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

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