Former East St. Louis Police Officer Charged with Felony Theft of Government Property

Larry D. Greenlee, 39, of Belleville, IL, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of theft or conversion of government property, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

The indictment alleges that Greenlee, while a police officer for the City of East St. Louis, failed an integrity test wherein federal agents placed a Rolex watch encircled with diamonds in a vehicle which appeared to be an abandoned stolen vehicle. Audio and video surveillance was in place around the vehicle. The indictment alleges that on September 17, 2010, Greenlee responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle and then inventoried the contents of the vehicle prior to having the vehicle towed. The indictment further alleges that Greenlee stole the Rolex watch from the vehicle.

If convicted on this charge, Greenlee faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years’ supervised release following any prison term.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman Smith.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.