ALBUQUERQUE – A lawyer for a now-former Albuquerque police officer denies allegations that his client wrongly collected thousands of dollars of overtime pay while serving as the department’s spokesman.

Attorney Sam Bregman told the Albuquerque Journal that allegations in a Police Department news release regarding former Officer Simon Drobik are “absolutely false” and that his client will defend himself in court if it goes that far.

The department’s statement Friday said an internal investigation concluded that Drobik violated policies on overtime pay and would have been fired if he hadn’t retired during the investigation.

According to the department, Drobik got paid for work he didn’t perform while multiple supervisors looked the other way.

The department said one supervisor will be disciplined as a result of the investigation and that the department is overhauling its practices for overtime.

The department also said it has made referrals and notifications to the Office of the State Auditor, the State Law Enforcement Academy Board and the Office of the Attorney General.

Drobik retired in July after serving as the department’s public face for years.