The U.S Attorney’s office in Philadelphia announced last week a Philadelphia Police officer was indicted on six counts of making false statements to the FBI, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of conspiracy to make a false statement.
Sgt. Michael Kennedy, 49, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged on last Wednesday with as part of an investigation where he is accused of pocketed evidence, that is, cash proceeds of drug trafficking that was on a nightstand when a search warrant was served when he was on duty, acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a release.
“The charges against Officer Kennedy allege behavior that is in stark contrast to values police officers are supposed to embody,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Our community expects everyone in law enforcement to follow the law, and justice demands it. Thank you to the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department for their dedicated work on this investigation.”
According to investigators, Kennedy, when interviewed by FBI agents and Philadelphia Police Department Task Force Officers, made a number of false statements the incident. The Indictment further alleges Kennedy obstructed justice by corruptly persuading another Philadelphia Police Department officer, and conspiring with that officer, to lie to the FBI about the incident in order to create an alibi and corroborate Kennedy’s false statements.
“As law enforcement officers, we must be held to the highest of ethical standards,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The public’s trust is critical for our justice system to function properly. That’s why the FBI will do everything in its power to hold accountable an officer whose criminal actions undermine that trust.”
If convicted Kennedy faces 55 years in prison including a federal Guidelines Range of a period of incarceration.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Task Force Officers, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Denise S. Wolf and Joseph LaBar.
