Federal investigation of Alorton City Hall brings charges against second police officer

Agents with the FBI carried boxes and bags full of personnel records from the Alorton City Hall in April of this year.

Those records have now implicated a second former police officer on charges he falsified time cards for patrol shifts he didn’t work.

On Tuesday, Jay A.Cobb, 57, of Cahokia was charged in a federal indictment of embezzling from an agency that receives federal funding. Before being consolidated into the new Cahokia Heights, the Village of Alorton received federal funding, including more than $82,000 in Coronavirus Relief Funds, which elevated the charges to the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

The indictment alleges that Cobb falsified time records from January 2020 through April 2021 and collected about $9,815 for time he didn’t work.

According to court records, agents compared Cobb’s time cards with GPS records on the patrol cars he used after clocking in for duty. They identified approximately 645 hours of conflicting time where Cobb traveled outside the Alorton jurisdiction, usually to go to his Cahokia home.

On September 29, former Alorton Police officer Ricky Perry pleaded guilty to collecting more than $60,000 in unearned pay over a three year period. Embezzling money from a unit of government that receives federal funds carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution, according to a release from the court.

“Most law enforcement officers in this district serve with honor and dedication however when an officer violates the law they should be held accountable,” said Steven Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.

The Public Corruption Task Force, which includes FBI agents and Illinois State Police, handled the investigation. Assistant U.S.Attorney Norman R. Smith is prosecuting the case against Cobb.

This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 6:00 AM.