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| Ramone T. Carpenter |
09/26/2012
By CAROLYN P. SMITH
EAST ST. LOUIS — Former East St. Louis police patrolman Ramone T. Carpenter pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of lying to federal authorities about obtaining sex from a female driver who was trying to avoid arrest.
Carpenter, 40, was fired July 10 along with another officer, Christopher Parks, who was with him early on May 8 when they stopped a young female driver.
According to police and the federal charges, between 2:30 a.m. and 3 a.m. May 8, Carpenter and Parks stopped the 25-year-old woman near Louisiana Boulevard and 26th Street in East St. Louis. She was drunk, had an open container of alcohol and was driving without a license or insurance. Carpenter let her continue driving her vehicle to her house.
At the house, he and Parks found her underage children had been left home alone. The victim said she was taken to a secluded part of the park, where she performed oral sex on Carpenter to avoid going to jail. The woman later filed a federal complaint, saying her civil rights had been violated.
The federal indictments for making false statements during a civil rights investigation were filed July 17. They state that Carpenter lied to federal investigators about being in Jones Park that morning and about the sex act. Parks was not charged.
Carpenter faces up to five years in federal prison on each count and a fine of up to $500,000 for both counts at his sentencing on Jan. 3.
U.S. District Judge Michael J. Reagan said Carpenter entered "an open plea," which means that the government, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft, did not recommend a sentence. Reagan told Carpenter that for what he did the sentencing guidelines call for probation to six months in jail. But, he said he does not have to give him a sentence within that range.
As a now convicted felon, Carpenter can never be involved in law enforcement and can not carry a weapon.
"That's a significant consequence," Reagan said.
Then he told Carpenter that that he no longer has the right to vote, hold public office, work in the health care field, serve as a juror, work for a federal institution or a contractor who is working on federal property.
Carpenter told Reagan he lives in Fairview Heights, is married and has three children, And, he said he has not worked since he was terminated. Carpenter said he filed for his unemployment but was denied because of what he did while employed as an East St. Louis patrolman.
Carpenter told Reagan he has up to a year and a half in college education and is looking for work.
"The power to arrest is the power to deprive someone of their liberty. Used properly and professionally, such power is valid. However, the conduct described in the indictment deprived this victim of more than her liberty -- it also deprived her of her dignity," U.S. Attorney Stephen Wigginton said.
The case was investigated by the Metro-East Public Corruption Task Force, the Illinois State Police and FBI. Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case.
Carpenter was represented by William D. Stiehl Jr.
Stiehl told Reagan that while Carpenter pleads guilty to the fact that what is contained in the stipulation of facts -- which are the victim's words about what happened to her -- Carpenter is not necessarily saying everything she said is factual. "It may become important later," Stiehl said.
The victim, whose name was not released, told federal agents that Carpenter "groped and fondled her in a sexually inappropriate way" during what purported to be a law enforcement frisk.
When federal agents interviewed Carpenter to determine whether Carpenter violated the victim's cilvil rights in Jones Park, Carpenter said he had not been in Jones Parks. And when questioned about the oral sex, Carpenter denied that it occurred and asked the agents "Why would I?"
Reagan told Carpenter when he speaks to probation personnel to make sure he is completely honest.
"They work for me. If you lie to them, you lie to me," Reagan said to Carpenter.
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