July 14, 2015

Former Mount Juliet Police Sergeant Charged with Federal Program Fraud and Wire Fraud

Jason Ezell, 40, of Lebanon, Tenn., was charged in a criminal information on July 10, 2015, with federal program fraud and wire fraud, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Ezell was a sergeant with the Mount Juliet Police Department and supervised the Crime Suppression Unit. In that position, Ezell was responsible for preparing time cards and submitting overtime logs for officers working in support of and assisting in federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF Program is a federal program within the United States Department of Justice which aims to focus federal resources to combat the flow of illicit drugs and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.

During the period of January 2013 through April 2015, Ezell fraudulently submitted City of Mount Juliet Time Card Reports and OCDETF Authorized Overtime Logs for payment, representing that that he had worked more than 500 hours of overtime that he did not in fact work. Ezell was paid more than $12,000 for the overtime he claimed.

If convicted, Ezell faces up to 10 years in prison for federal program fraud and up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and a $250,000 fine for each charge.

This case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the FBI; the District Attorney’s Office for the 19th Judicial District; and the DEA-Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski is prosecuting the case.

A criminal information is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.