BALTIMORE — A Baltimore Police officer has been indicted after prosecutors alleged he repeatedly entered fake traffic stops into the department’s reporting system to make himself appear unavailable for service calls.

Officer Dequwan Houchins, 30, faces five counts of misconduct in office and four counts related to falsifying public records, according to court records. The indictment was announced Monday by Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates and Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley.

The allegations began with a complaint received by Baltimore Police in December 2025 claiming Houchins had been falsely reporting traffic stops for months. Police officers are required to electronically document traffic stops, including information such as the vehicle’s license plate, and their interactions with motorists are generally required to be captured on body-worn cameras.

Investigators eventually went undercover.

According to the indictment, detectives followed Houchins during portions of four patrol shifts on April 8, April 15, April 21 and May 13, 2026. Investigators said Houchins recorded 17 traffic stops during the monitored periods—nine legitimate and eight allegedly illegitimate.

Prosecutors allege that when Houchins entered some of the questionable stops, he was actually sitting idle in his patrol vehicle. On another occasion, authorities said he was ordering a smoothie while reporting himself unavailable.

The alleged conduct had consequences beyond inaccurate paperwork. When Houchins appeared occupied with traffic stops, prosecutors say other officers had to handle calls that otherwise could have been assigned to him.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley sharply criticized the alleged conduct, saying the issue wasn’t simply an officer trying to inflate enforcement numbers. He characterized the allegations as an officer avoiding work while colleagues were forced to pick up the slack.

State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said falsifying records for personal convenience represents a serious violation of the trust placed in police officers.

Houchins, meanwhile, has disputed the allegations. When contacted by the Baltimore Banner, according to The Guardian’s account, he indicated that he had been unaware of the indictment and rejected the allegation involving the smoothie.

If convicted on all charges, Houchins could face up to 12 years of incarceration, according to local reporting. The charges remain allegations, and Houchins is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.