By Tiffany Williams –
A Maryland police captain trusted with enforcing the law is now facing felony charges for allegedly cheating the system, skipping work for college classes, and joyriding in her state-issued vehicle, prosecutors announced Friday.
Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III said Captain Astarte Hunt, a sworn officer with the Maryland Department of Health Police since 2016 and promoted to captain in 2022, has been hit with two counts of misconduct in office and one count of theft scheme between $1,500 and $25,000.
Prosecutors say that from January through May 2025, Hunt brazenly cut corners while collecting a state paycheck. Instead of patrolling or supervising, she was allegedly sitting in classrooms at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, completing coursework on the clock and filing timesheets claiming she was on duty.
It didn’t stop there. According to charging documents, Hunt also abused her privilege of having access to a state-owned vehicle, which was supposed to be for official use only. She allegedly treated the government-issued ride as her personal car, driving it to campus, using it on weekends, and racking up miles while off duty. When it came time to submit her mileage logs, prosecutors say she fudged the numbers — falsely reporting no weekend use and rolling the odometer totals into Monday entries to cover her tracks.
The scheme unraveled when investigators noticed the inconsistencies between Hunt’s logs and her actual movements. The state says the pattern of deception showed a deliberate effort to steal taxpayer resources while betraying the oath she swore to uphold.
“ 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,” Howard said in a statement.
The case throws a spotlight on the Department of Health Police, a small but specialized force responsible for securing state health facilities. As a captain, Hunt was expected to lead by example. Instead, prosecutors argue she exploited her rank for personal gain — a move that could cost her both her badge and her freedom.
Hunt will face the charges in court in the coming weeks. If convicted, she could face prison time and be barred from serving in law enforcement again.