Former Mesquite Police Officer Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing Government Money

DALLAS—John David McAllister, 42, a former sergeant with the Mesquite Police Department (MPD), was sentenced this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 15 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in March 2011 to an indictment charging one count of theft of government money, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Lindsay ordered that McAllister surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on July 19, 2011.

According to plea documents filed in the case, on March 1, 2011, McAllister was head of the MPD’s narcotics unit, and his duties included executing search warrants at suspected drug stash locations and assisting uniformed officers with vehicles that were suspected of transporting narcotics or cash thought to be drug proceeds. While on duty that day, he received a call to assist a federal agent with making contact with a suspected drug courier. However, the request was made as part of an undercover money courier operation being conducted by the FBI.

After arriving at a parking lot on Motley Drive in Mesquite, McAllister searched the interior of the vehicle and discovered a duffle bag and a plastic bag containing $100,000 in cash. While McAllister believed the money was drug proceeds and could lawfully be seized, he now knows that the cash was the property of the FBI and had been placed in the vehicle as part of the undercover operation. Law enforcement officers at the scene requested McAllister transport the vehicle and cash to the MPD for processing.

While on his way to the MPD, McAllister removed one of the 52 individually-wrapped bundles of cash, containing $2000 in cash, and hid it in his pants. When he arrived at the MPD, McAllister delivered the remaining 51 bundles of cash to the MPD’s narcotics unit squad area. Prior to delivering the cash to the squad area, however, McAllister put the bundle of money that he had hidden in his pants into his vehicle. When McAllister was arrested by FBI agents on March 3, 2011, he had a portion of the stolen cash inside his wallet.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert.