MONROE COUNTY (WWJ) -- A member of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office is facing felony charges for allegedly falsifying overtime documents.
Attorney General Dana Nessel's office announced Monday that Major Jeffrey Kemp turned himself in last Friday after allegedly submitting overtime documents in 2018 to show he was working special marine patrol shifts -- but he wasn't.
The illegal overtime payments amounted to $900.
After Kemp turned himself in, he was arraigned on the following charges:
• Two counts of misconduct in office, five-year felonies
• Two counts of false pretenses over $200 but less than $1,000, one-year misdemeanors.
According to officials, in September 2019, the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, began an investigation after receiving an anonymous compaint alleging misappropriation of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant funds.
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This money was provided to the sheriff's office as part of Operation Stone Garden (OSG), which provides funding for state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to pay overtime expenses related to border security operations.
“I appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by our federal and state partners in this case, as well as cooperation from Sheriff Goodnough and his department,” Nessel said. “Federal resources meant to support the important work of law enforcement must not be abused, and we will not hesitate to bring criminal charges in instances of fraud.”
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Nessel's office stated they evaluated the evidence in September 2021.
Kemp was released on a personal recognizance bond and expected to be back in court on April 28 at 2:30 p.m. for a preliminary hearing.