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A Hayward police officer — who is related to the chief of police — is facing a criminal charge after allegedly being caught up in a bribery scheme involving a San Jose brothel.
Officer Benjamin Yarbrough, 48, has been charged with one felony, accepting a bribe, after allegedly taking $1,000 and accepting free sex from prostitutes, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
“The law applies to everyone, and the integrity of law enforcement is fundamental to public trust,” District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said.
Yarbrough was identified during a 2025 San Jose police investigation into prostitution.
Last July, San Jose investigators alerted Hayward Police Chief Bryan Matthews, who said in a news release Wednesday that because of his family relationship with Yarbrough, he asked the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office to conduct the criminal investigation.
Matthews didn’t say how he and Yarbrough are related and a Hayward police spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
After learning of the investigation, Matthews said Yarbrough was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of two investigations, one by Alameda County prosecutors and one by HPD’s Internal Affairs Unit.
“As Chief, I want to assure our community that we take all allegations of misconduct, including allegations of criminal conduct, very seriously and any criminal conduct on the part of any Hayward Police Department employee will not be tolerated regardless of any personal relationships that may exist,” Matthews said.
— Story by By Kiley Russell, Bay City News
