CENTREVILLE — Assistant Police Chief Corey Allen was put on administrative leave with pay because he is under federal investigation, Mayor Marius Jackson said Friday.

Allen said he was not arrested but he declined to comment further.

"Administrative leave is used to ensure that a thorough and complete investigation can be conducted without the perception of influence," Jackson said in a statement released Friday. "The administrative leave process is in the best interest of the employee, the organization and the community."

Jackson said he could not discuss other aspects of the case.

"He (Allen) has been employed by the (Centreville) department for a period totaling more than five years. He has served as a patrolman and detective prior to his appointment to assistant chief in 2011," the mayor's statement said.

Allen also is a former chief of police with the Alorton Police Department.

Allen, 31, began his law enforcement career in Alorton in 2001. He worked there until 2004 when he went to Centreville, where he worked until 2007. He went back to Alorton briefly and then returned to Centreville.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said it can neither confirm nor deny whether federal investigators are actively investigating Allen.

Contact reporter Carolyn P. Smith at 618-239-2503.