Former Pine Lawn Lieutenant Sentenced on Federal Charges

St. Louis, MO –Former Pine Lawn Lieutenant Steven Blakeney was sentenced to 51 months in prison on criminal civil rights charges arising from his arrest in 2013 of a candidate for the office of Mayor of the City of Pine Lawn.

According to testimony presented at trial, on March 31, 2013, Blakeney, while a police officer with the City of Pine Lawn Police Department, conspired with others to cause the arrest of a mayoral candidate based on false allegations and without probable cause. Blakeney ordered another person to falsely report that the mayoral candidate had stolen a campaign poster from a local business and then arranged for the candidate to be arrested.

Blakeney was convicted in January of one felony count of conspiracy against rights; one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsification of records.  He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., who had the defendant remanded into the custody of United States Marshals.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Reginald Harris handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.