Des Plaines to Pay IDOT $92,000 for False DUI Arrest Numbers

 Posted on March 27,2014 in DUI

The City of Des Plaines has reached an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and will be paying the agency $92,000 over some members the Des Plaines Police Department allegedly faking the numbers of DUI arrests in order to receive grant money issued by the IDOT. According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the Des Plaines Police Department was awarded both state and federal grant money for both seat belt enforcement and DUI campaigns.

The IDOT grant program, the Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), requires that both the numbers of DUI arrests, as well as the blood alcohol levels of those arrested, be submitted. By submitting that information, a police department is then reimbursed for equipment, mileage, and police officer overtime pay.

An internal investigation by the city revealed that some officers falsified those numbers and discovered 122 arrests submitted between 2009 and 2012 did not exist. However, IDOT awarded the Des Plaines Police Department an extra $132,893 that they would not have received without those false reports.

Thirteen police officers have been accused of being part of the alleged scheme. Eleven of those officers were suspended for seven to 14 days. One officer was suspended for 60 days. Those officers received $176.20 to $777.83 in overtime pay, which they were required to pay back.

One officer, Timothy Veit, who was the department’s project director for the IDOT grant program, has been arrested and charged with one felony count of making false statements. Veit allegedly received $3,042 in overtime pay in 2009, $11,530 in 2010, and $25,603 in overtime in 2011. He retired in 2012. Veit has pled not guilty to the charges. If he is found guilty, the former officer could receive a five year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.

The more DUI arrests a police department makes, the more grant money they are entitled to receive. There are many factors that can affect the outcome of a DUI arrest. If you have been arrested, contact an experienced Cook County criminal defense attorney to find out what legal options you may have.