Fired Joliet Officer May Retire, Collect Pension Soon

JOLIET, IL — It appears more unlikely than ever that Joliet will conduct a termination hearing before the city's police and fire commission regarding January's firing of veteran Joliet Police Officer Brian Nagra. He is suspected of falsifying his payroll records to give himself more overtime compensation than he really earned.

In two weeks, Nagra will have an opportunity to submit his formal notice of retirement with the city of Joliet. Nagra started with the Joliet Police Department on June 17, 1999, documents provided to Joliet Patch under the Freedom of Information Act show.

With 20 years of service, Nagra would become eligible to retire and begin collecting a police pension, as well as other generous benefits paid by the city's taxpayers.

To recap, Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner in early January chose to fire Nagra and veteran officer Lionel Allen for completely separate reasons. Nagra and Allen both appealed their terminations to the city's five-member citizens' board.

To date, the termination hearings for Nagra and Allen have yet to occur. Both men continue to receive their regular paychecks every two weeks, just like other city employees, who are coming into work every day.

Once June 17 rolls around, there is nothing the city can do to prevent Nagra from submitting his retirement, and in effect, collecting a pension, the city's interim corporation counsel Chris Regis acknowledged last week during an interview with Patch.

It's highly unlikely that a termination hearing will take place in the next two weeks.

Once Nagra retires, the city would not be in a position to continue with the termination case against the 20-year officer, Regis conceded.

As of now, Nagra has not been charged with any criminal activity in connection with his dismissal from the city of Joliet.

Last October,veteran Joliet Police Lt. Dennis McWherter allegedly was caught stealing opioids from a prescription drug drop off box at the Joliet Police Substation on Caton Farm Road, court records filed in Kendall County show.

In that instance, Chief Al Roechner allowed McWherter to quietly retire from the police department the following month to start collecting his pension. McWherter had worked for the Joliet Police Department 24 years and three months.

Five months later, McWherter was charged in March with six criminal offenses.

Regis told Joliet Patch that the city has not done anything to delay or slow down the termination process against either Nagra or Allen.

Regis explained that the termination cases have been the subject of multiple delays initiated by the lawyer who represents the Joliet Fraternal Order of Police, and the two officers who are facing termination.

Regis said the time extensions afforded to the FOP lawyer are no different than when a judge at the courthouse grants a delay to defense lawyer who is representing someone charged with a crime. Criminal proceedings often involve multiple delays sought by the defense counsel, Regis noted.

"We have been in contact with the FOP attorney and we're waiting for her pretrial motions to be completed," Regis said last week. "That's where it stands."

Lionel Allen's termination case is further complicated for the city because Allen has an ongoing federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and former chief of police Brian Benton alleging racial discrimination.

In Allen's lawsuit, his lawyer alleges that in 2016, Benton told Allen that he was being fired but Allen could keep his job and remain on the police force if he withdrew his discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Allen has about 30 years of service with Joliet and could pursue his retirement at any time as well.