Two senior officers with the Evansville Police Department are facing dozens of criminal charges after being accused of fraudulently collecting pay for extra-duty work they allegedly did not perform.
Prosecutors on Monday charged Lt. Stacy Shirley, 43, and Sgt. Bill Shirley, 45, with a combined 58 counts, including 25 felony counts of fraud, 25 misdemeanor counts of fraud, one count of corrupt business influence, and one count of official misconduct.
The husband-and-wife duo turned themselves in at the Vanderburgh County Jail shortly before 4 p.m. following a warrant issued for their arrests. They were later released after posting $500 bonds each.
According to court documents, the Shirleys allegedly abused their positions by collecting payments for off-duty security shifts at Evansville Housing Authority (EHA) properties and at a department store — shifts they often did not work. Investigators said some of the hours reported were during times when the officers were still on duty with the police department.
An internal investigation was launched by EPD detectives in May after a colleague raised concerns about whether the Shirleys were actually completing the extra-duty work. The investigation uncovered discrepancies corroborated by GPS and cell phone data, which allegedly revealed that both officers were falsely reporting hours.
Chief of Police Phil Smith, addressing the charges at a press conference at the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office, said, “We are not necessarily against Bill and Stacy as people, but we are against corrupt police officers. Transparency is a top priority for this department.”
The couple also allegedly falsified time records while working off-duty at Dillard’s department store. Bill Shirley is accused of clocking in his wife even when she was still on duty at the department.
At the time of the arrests, Stacy Shirley had served with the department for more than 20 years, and Bill Shirley had 17 years of service.
Both officers have been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending further legal proceedings.
Their initial hearing in Vanderburgh County Circuit Court is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. The investigation remains ongoing.
