HAMMOND | A former East Chicago police officer is facing up to 20 years in prison after signing a plea agreement in federal court Monday admitting he committed mail fraud, court documents state.
Shawn Pitts signed the plea and admitted he participated in a scheme in which he claimed to be working at two different jobs at the same time and was paid for them.
Checks from a housing project where he was supposed to be working security were mailed to his home, which constituted a mail fraud charge.
He admitted he worked at two housing projects, a credit union and the Police Department and claimed to be working at two places at once on time sheets.
Pitts was an officer with the East Chicago Police Department from 1997 to September 2011. He was indicted in May.
In addition to prison time, Pitts is facing fines up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release, according to the plea agreement.
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