Former East St. Louis Police Officer Indicted

A former East St. Louis Police officer was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 17, 2012, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Ramon T. Carpenter, 40, was indicted for making false statements to federal law enforcement officers during their investigation of a civil rights complaint.

The indictment alleges that in the early morning hours of May 8, 2012, a female driver was driving near the intersection of Louisiana Blvd. and 25th Street in East St. Louis, Illinois, when she encountered two on-duty East St. Louis Police officers. The driver was intoxicated and driving with open liquor at the time. The driver believed that she would be arrested by the officers for driving with no license, no insurance, and for driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI). The female alleged that she was driven to a secluded area in Jones Park in East St. Louis, where she felt that she had to perform oral sex on the officer to avoid going to jail. The charges state that when Carpenter was interviewed by federal agents that he falsely denied being present in Jones Park during his shift and that he also falsely denied receiving oral sex.

The crime of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement officer is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years’ supervised release upon release from prison. However, the United States Sentencing Guidelines must be applied to the case and considered by the court during sentencing.

The investigation was conducted through the Metro East Public Corruption Task Force by agents from the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven D. Weinhoeft.

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.