Monroe County major charged for falsifying overtime records

A member of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) now faces felony charges for submitting overtime documents for shifts he didn’t work, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday.

MCSO Major Jeffrey Kemp turned himself in last Friday and was arraigned on the following in 1st District Court:

  • Two counts of misconduct in office, five-year felonies.
  • Two counts of false pretenses over $200 but less than one-thousand $1,000, one-year misdemeanors.

Kemp was given a personal recognizance bond.

In Sept. 2019, the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, initiated an investigation into an anonymous complaint alleging misappropriation of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant funds. The funds were provided to the MCSO as part of Operation Stone Garden (OSG), which provides funding for state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to pay for overtime expenses in border security operations.  

It is alleged that Kemp falsified overtime documents in 2018 to reflect that he was participating in marine patrol shifts being subsidized by OSG funds, when in fact, he did not
participate. The illegal overtime payments amounted to approximately $900.

The Department of Attorney General received a referral from the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General in September 2021 for evaluation.

“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,” 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.”

“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.”  

A preliminary hearing is set for April 28 at 2:30 p.m.