MDH police captain charged with taking college classes while on the clock

A captain in the Maryland Department of Health‘s police department has been charged for taking classes at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County while on the clock.

Captain Astarte Hunt, 49, was charged on Sept. 15 with two counts of misconduct in office and one count of theft between $1,500 and $25,000, court records show.

From January to May of this year, according to the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor, Hunt took classes during her scheduled shifts without approval. The OSP alleges she stole $5,140.64 in payroll funds from the state. She is also accused of using her work vehicle on weekends, to drive to class and while off duty, and of falsifying her mileage logs to make it look like she drove those miles for work.

The OSP’s criminal information states she improperly logged 130 miles in April and May.

Hunt, a Reisterstown resident, joined the MDH police department in 2016 and was promoted to captain in 2022. Her salary as of July 1, 2024, was $120,140, according to the criminal information. She managed police supervisors and was “responsible for overseeing the operations of all 11 facilities or hospitals operated by the MDH.”

Hunt’s initial appearance in Baltimore County Circuit Court is scheduled for Oct. 14. She does not have a lawyer as of Sept. 17, according to Maryland Judiciary Case Search. The Daily Record was unable to find a phone number but has reached out to her via email.

“Our office is committed to upholding the law, including holding officers accountable when they abuse the public trust and violate the very laws and regulations they are sworn to enforce,” State Prosecutor Charlton Howard III stated in a news release.