Nathan Harper facts for kids

Nathan Harper was a former Chief of the Pittsburgh Police department. He held this important role from October 31, 2006, until February 20, 2013. Before becoming Chief, he was in charge of the Investigations Branch for a long time. He was also the third African-American Chief of Police in Pittsburgh's history.

Nathan Harper's Early Life and Career

Nathan Harper grew up in Stanton Heights and went to Schenley High School. After finishing school, he joined the police force in 1977.

Starting as a Police Officer

He began his career as a patrol officer, which means he worked on the streets. He also worked as a K-9 officer, which involves working with police dogs. Later, he became a plainclothes investigator, meaning he worked without a uniform to solve crimes.

Moving Up in the Police Department

As he gained more experience, Nathan Harper was promoted to different administrative jobs. ..... He also worked in investigations, helping to solve various cases. In the 1990s, he helped create the city's Street Response Unit. He was also a Sergeant in the city's Traffic Division, which manages traffic and road safety.

Investigations and Resignation

In 2012, some problems began to surface within the police department.

Contract Investigation

In November 2012, a city employee and a company were investigated. They were suspected of unfairly arranging a police contract worth $337,000. This involved accusations of giving money to a public official and other dishonest actions. The city employee later admitted to their part in the wrongdoing. At that time, the mayor's office stated that Chief Harper was not involved in these specific issues.

Federal Investigations and Resignation

In February 2013, federal agents from the FBI and IRS started looking into the police department's finances. They took many documents from police headquarters and the police credit union. These documents were about money deposits and withdrawals from accounts that were not properly authorized. Some of these issues dated back to 2004, before Chief Harper became Chief.

Chief Harper was questioned by federal agents about these accounts and the contract issues. Because of these investigations, he was asked to step down from his position. He resigned on February 20, 2013.

Legal Consequences

After his resignation, Nathan Harper faced legal charges related to his time as Chief.

Guilty Plea and Sentencing

On October 18, 2013, Nathan Harper admitted in court that he was guilty of five charges. These charges were related to his leadership of the Police bureau and included issues with reporting taxes.

On February 25, 2014, Nathan Harper was sentenced to 18 months in prison. This was for his part in a plan to take money from a government-funded program and for not filing tax returns correctly. The judge also ordered him to pay back $31,987. After his release from prison, he was to be on probation for one year. He was sent to a minimum-security prison camp in Pekin, Illinois, and reported there by April 1, 2014.

See also

• Police chief
• Allegheny County Sheriff
• List of law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania