Anson Fenton, the former police chief of Wayne City, Illinois, admitted to federal charges on April 1 for illegally selling motorcycles seized by his department and keeping the proceeds for his personal benefit. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois revealed that Fenton, 46, of Belle Rive, pled guilty to one count of misapplication of property from federally funded programs and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
Asset forfeiture is a legal procedure where authorities confiscate property linked to criminal activity, such as vehicles, cash, and real estate. According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Wayne City Police were tasked with storing these items until city officials passed an ordinance authorizing their sale. As the police chief, Fenton was responsible for overseeing the management of these forfeited assets.
Court documents show that Fenton sold two motorcycles— a 2017 Harley-Davidson and a 2000 Harley-Davidson— which had been confiscated by the police. Both motorcycles, valued at over $5,000, were sold without approval from the Wayne City Board of Trustees. Additionally, Fenton traded a 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle for a 1991 Ford Mustang for his personal use.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office strongly supports our police, but we must take decisive action when things like this happen,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “By taking unauthorized possession of forfeited property for his personal benefit, the defendant used his position of trust as police chief to deceive the community he was sworn to protect.”
Fenton now faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the charges.
