Paid Leave For Joliet Cops Nagra, Allen Almost Hit $130K

JOLIET, IL — Back in January, Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner informed veteran officers Lionel Allen and Brian Nagra that he was firing them for separate reasons. In the months ahead, the chief did not follow through in presenting evidence to the city's police and fire board on why Allen and Nagra warranted termination. In July and August, Nagra and Allen submitted their respective retirement notices to the city. Allen and Nagra collected a combined $129,852 during the appeals of their January firings, Joliet Patch determined.

This month, Joliet Patch obtained the paid leave totals for Allen and Nagra as part of separate Freedom of Information Act requests to the city of Joliet.

According to the city's payroll data:

Allen received a total of 16 regular paychecks, each roughly $4,200, after appealing his firing from the city on Jan 7.

Allen's final regular paycheck occurred Aug. 9, one day after his retirement took effect.

During his seven months on paid leave, Allen collected about $69,170.

Additionally, on Aug. 23, Allen received a final payout of $25,344. Most of that was the city's buyout for Allen's remaining unused vacation plus his comp time banks still on the books. Allen had already used up nearly all his sick leave bank. His sick leave payout was only $1,763.

The city of Joliet informed Joliet Patch that the estimated wages for calculating Allen's Joliet police pension will be based on $111,267.

At the time of his January firing, Allen was on the verge of celebrating his 30th year with the Joliet Police Department.

(Article continues below photo of Lionel Allen.)

In regards to Brian Nagra, Chief Roechner removed Nagra from active duty and recommended Nagra for firing in January. Nagra appealed his termination on Jan. 11, resulting in his placement on paid leave.

Nagra had been accused of falsifying his city payroll records to inflate his overtime compensation.

Then, on July 5, six months later, Nagra notified the city of his retirement. Nagra had reached his 20-year milestone with the Joliet Police Department.

On July 26, Patch reported that Brian Nagra was arrested and placed into the Kendall County Jail, he was charged with three counts of official misconduct and two charges of theft.

During a question-and-answer interview in June, Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, who was a Joliet Police officer during the 1990s, explained that: "As of the end of August, 2018, there was sufficient evidence to terminate the employment of Brian Nagra. The former city manager (David Hales) and police chief (Brian Benton) chose neither to terminate his employment, nor place him on administrative leave, but instead allowed him to work as a police officer for another five months.

"The current police chief, (Al Roechner) under interim city manager Marty Shanahan, recommended termination in January 2019."

Last month, Joliet Patch reported that Nagra received a payout of $26,102 for his remaining unused vacation, sick and comp time banks.

While on paid leave from the city between Jan. 11 and July 5, Nagra collected $57,563 in regular salary. He got another $2,100 as a court stipend, under the terms of his Joliet FOP contract with the city. Third, Nagra got his annual longevity bonus, which was $1,019, city records show.

Overall, Nagra made $60,682 for not working a single day on the job after Jan. 11, Joliet Patch's calculations determined.