Ex-Joliet Officer Brian Nagra Pleads Guilty To 2 Crimes

JOLIET, IL — In 2019, Joliet Police Officer Brian Nagra was charged with three counts of official misconduct and two counts of theft of between $10,000 and $100,000. Now, two years later, Nagra has pleaded guilty to two of his charges.

Nagra pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of official misconduct and one count of theft, both felonies. Three other felony charges were dismissed under the plea bargain. Nagra was sentenced by a Kendall County judge to 30 months of probation and 100 community service hours, the court records reflect.

Nagra was involved with falsifying his payroll records to give himself more overtime compensation than he really earned.

During the summer of 2018, Joliet Police Chief Brian Benton and Joliet City Manager David Hales became aware of allegations of financial improprieties involving patrol officer Nagra, Joliet Patch later reported. In July 2019, the Kendall County State's Attorney's Office in Yorkville filed five criminal charges against Nagra: three counts of official misconduct and two counts of theft of between $10,000 and $100,000.

In January 2019, Benton's successor, Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner, announced the termination of Nagra. However, Nagra remained on the city payroll until July 2019, when Nagra announced his retirement. Roechner did not present any evidence to the city's police and fire board outlining his case on why Nagra should be terminated from the Joliet police force.

Nagra appealed the grounds of his termination, forcing the city of Joliet to keep him on the payroll. He stayed on the payroll long enough to mark his 20th anniversary with the city, which allowed him to qualify for his Joliet police pension.

In mid-June 2019, Patch reported that Brian Nagra had been paid $52,000 so far that year from the city of Joliet while appealing his January termination from the police department. Given that Nagra remained on the city's payroll until July 5, 2019, he would have collected at least $60,000 in salary that particular year for not working as a patrol officer.

In years past, Nagra had been assigned to the city's east side.

On June 26, 2019, Joliet Patch published a written question and answer interview with Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk regarding the case of Nagra as Nagra still remained on the city payroll at that time.