Monroe County Sheriff's Office major accused falsifying overtime records to receive extra pay

MONROE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Monroe County Sheriff's Office major is accused of falsifying overtime records to receive extra pay.

Jeffrey Kemp was charged with two counts of misconduct in office and two counts of false pretenses over $200 but less than $1,000 after turning himself in Friday.

According to the Michigan Attorney General's Office, Kemp is accused of falsifying documents to show that he performed marine operations in 2018. He was not part of these operations, authorities said. 

Kemp was paid about $900 in overtime from grant money provided to the law enforcement agency from FEMA as part of Operation Stone Garden, which provides funding to pay for overtime expenses in border security operations.

"The public expects law enforcement officers to perform their duties with honesty and integrity. Instead, Mr. Kemp used his official position to siphon money from a program designed to keep our borders safe," James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Division, said. "Thank you to Sheriff Troy Goodnough for his cooperation during this investigation and to the men and women of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office who serve with honor day in and day out."  

The alleged scheme was caught when the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General received an anonymous complaint in September 2019 about the misappropriation of FEMA funds.

"I appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by our federal and state partners in this case, as well as cooperation from Sheriff Goodnough and his department," Michigan AG Dana Nessel said. "Federal resources meant to support the important work of law enforcement must not be abused, and we will not hesitate to bring criminal charges in instances of fraud."