Mario H. Fennoy, Overtime Fraud, Illinois 2017
In a shocking case of police corruption, a former East St. Louis police officer has been indicted for allegedly bilking the department out of thousands of dollars in fake overtime pay.
Mario H. Fennoy, 48, of Lebanon, Illinois, has been charged with fraudulently obtaining overtime compensation from the East St. Louis Police Department for nearly a year.
According to the indictment, Fennoy began submitting false claims for overtime pay in 2017, while he was employed as a patrol sergeant. However, the indictment alleges that Fennoy was actually at home, spending extended periods of time at a secondary residence, when he was supposedly out working the streets.
Fennoy allegedly falsely cleared calls and reported responding to dispatches when, in fact, he never left the house. From April 2017 to March 2018, Fennoy is accused of submitting over 50 bogus requests for overtime pay, totaling more than 200 hours.
The charge alleges that in 2017 Fennoy received a base salary of $69,382, but after overtime, he received more than $205,000 in total wages.
Fennoy faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for allegedly committing fraud against an organization that receives federal funds. Restitution is mandatory.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of agents with the FBI, Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation, and the Illinois State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Citizens are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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