HAYWARD, Calif. — A Hayward police officer has been charged with a felony bribery offense after prosecutors allege he accepted cash and sexual services in exchange for protecting a brothel, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
In its announcement, “Hayward Police Officer Charged with Accepting a Bribe,” the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office reports that Hayward Police Officer Benjamin Yarbrough, 48, has been charged with a felony count of accepting a bribe in violation of Penal Code section 68(a). It alleges that he knowingly accepted $1,000 and access to sex workers as part of an ongoing prostitution-related investigation.
The District Attorney’s Office states that the case stems from a larger San Jose Police Department probe into illicit massage businesses. It was only after Alameda County prosecutors took over the investigation that they learned of possible misconduct involving a Hayward officer.
District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson stated, “The law applies to everyone, and the integrity of law enforcement is fundamental to public trust.”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the allegations involve a brothel operating on Main Street in Hayward, where investigators believe Yarbrough accepted money and sexual services in exchange for protecting the business. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that prosecutors allege that he shielded the operation from law enforcement and also offered to target competing establishments.
The San Francisco Chronicle further reports that the case developed after authorities uncovered communication between Yarbrough and Yanqiong Xiong, who was later arrested on suspicion of operating multiple brothels.
According to court records cited by the San Francisco Chronicle, this connection was discovered during a review of cellphones that were seized in the broader San Jose investigation.
As shared by court documents referenced in the San Francisco Chronicle, messages between Yarbrough and Xiong suggest an arrangement in which he offered protection in exchange for benefits. In one message cited in a probable cause statement, Yarbrough wrote, “I don’t bust, I protect and keep safe.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that other exchanges from March to early April of last year show Yarbrough discussing available workers and attempting to coordinate the terms of the arrangement.
The San Francisco Chronicle adds that Xiong later described Yarbrough as a “dirty cop” in messages reviewed by investigators. Authorities state she told investigators that she provided him with $1,000 in cash and sexual services as part of the alleged agreement. The San Francisco Chronicle notes that Xiong also later identified Yarbrough in a photograph during the investigation.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Yarbrough told investigators he was “not sure of the location where the photos were taken” when confronted with images of himself entering the establishment. The San Francisco Chronicle says that court records show that he denied having sex at the location and denied accepting money or offering protection.
The San Francisco Chronicle relays that the charge was filed Wednesday, the same day Hayward Police Chief Bryan Matthews addressed the situation publicly. The article states that Matthews asked the District Attorney’s Office to take over the investigation due to a “familial relationship” with Yarbrough.
The San Francisco Chronicle further reports that the department first became aware of a criminal investigation involving one of its officers in July 2025, after Yarbrough was placed on paid administrative leave. At that time, both the District Attorney’s Office and the department’s Internal Affairs unit were conducting investigations.
Matthews emphasized the department’s stance on misconduct, stating, “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,” the San Francisco Chronicle concludes.
According to state employment records cited by the San Francisco Chronicle, Yarbrough joined the Hayward Police Department in 2014 after previously serving as a police officer in Modesto.
The District Attorney’s Office says the case highlights the need for accountability within law enforcement when misconduct is alleged.
Tags: police misconduct, bribery charges, Hayward police, Alameda County DA, prostitution investigation, corruption
