Pubdate: Fri, 08 Oct 2004
Source: Kansas City Star (MO)
Copyright: 2004 The Kansas City Star
Contact:  http://www.kcstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/221
Author: Mark Morris
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)

EX-POLICE SERGEANT PLEADS GUILTY IN SCAM

A former Kansas City police sergeant admitted in federal court
Thursday that he scammed almost $30,000 from the federal government by
overbilling for security services.

Robert Maize, 45, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to
a single count of felony wire fraud. According to an estimate in his
plea agreement, Maize faces up to six months in prison.

A police spokesman said that immediately before pleading guilty, Maize
resigned from the department, from which he had been suspended since
2002.

Maize and his lawyer, Kevin E.J. Regan, declined comment after the
hearing. His answers to questions in court were short.

"Are you guilty or not guilty of the charge?" asked U.S. District
Judge Ortrie Smith.

"Guilty, sir," Maize replied.

During the hearing, Maize admitted that he operated two companies that
employed off-duty Kansas City police officers to provide security for
a number of apartment complexes along Armour Boulevard. The operators
of those complexes had formed an organization to win federal anti-drug
security grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development.

Between September 1999 and December 2001, Maize was paid $29,099.58
for 743.5 hours of security services that never were provided.

Maize was suspended in February 2002 because of an FBI investigation
into his off-duty work.

In September 2002, the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners
decided to give Maize back pay to the beginning of his suspension and
then continue paying him until the case was resolved. Commissioners
said they did not want to irreparably harm employees and their
families based on an accusation that could prove to be false. Maize
received more than $120,000 in pay after his suspension.

Smith set sentencing for Feb. 4.
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