Former Metro East Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Fraud

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A former police officer in the Village of Alorton, Illinois, will be 
spending time in federal prison after falsifying thousands of hours on his timesheets. Ricky Perry, 
51, of East Saint Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 10 months confinement today, consisting of 5 
months in prison and 5 months of home confinement after his release.

United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said, “The overwhelming majority of police officers are 
honorable public servants who place their lives in harm’s way to protect the rest of us. But there 
must be consequences for those rare situations when officers break the laws they swore to uphold. 
We will continue to enforce the law in an evenhanded way against all who break it.”

FBI  Special  Agent  in  Charge  David  Nanz  said,  “The  cornerstone  of  the  public’s  trust  
in  law enforcement relies on the expectation that each person who takes the oath to protect and 
serve the public will do so with integrity. The FBI is committed to maintaining trust in law 
enforcement by holding all those who break the law accountable for their actions.”

According to court documents, Perry started as a patrol officer with the Alorton Police Department 
in August 2017. Within his first six months, Perry began falsifying his timecards to hide the fact 
that he wasn’t really patrolling the jurisdiction during his shifts. In fact, nearly every shift 
that Perry claimed to be patrolling Alorton, he absconded from the jurisdiction without 
justification or approval. He usually went to his home outside of Alorton, where he parked his 
patrol car outside his house and sometimes ignored calls from dispatchers. Perry was often the only 
patrol officer on duty at the time.

Between May 2018 and April 2021, Perry spent about 4,000 hours on the clock as an Alorton patrol  
officer while improperly outside the jurisdiction. He received $60,346.25 based on his 
misrepresentations. As part of his sentence, Perry was ordered to pay this money back in 
restitution in addition to a small fine. He will also spend one year on supervised release after 
his time in prison and home confinement.

The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force, which 
consists of agents with FBI Springfield, and the Illinois State Police.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith and Luke J. Weissler.

Citizens are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern Illinois Public
Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.