Carl Mullen, ex-Highland Heights police chief, gets 45 months in prison

CINCINNATI - A former Highland Heights police chief who previously admitted stealing more than $127,000 from his department was sentenced Monday to 45 months in federal prison.

U.S. District Court Judge Danny C. Reeves sentenced Carl Mullen, 49, for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Mullen, a longtime chief of the Highland Heights Police Department and the Southgate Police Authority, admitted he fraudulently obtained over $115,600 in cash advances for personal use. He acknowledged he used credit cards issued to the police authority and individual officers within his department to obtain the advances.

Mullen not only used these credit cards improperly, he also falsely certified each month that the cash withdrawals were for legitimate police expenses.

Also, Mullen admitted to stealing more than $11,700 from a police authority account designated for criminal investigation expenses.

Mullen’s thefts occurred from January 2010 through November 2011. He was indicted in June 2012 and pleaded guilty in September.

Under federal law, Mullen will have to serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence.

Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and FBI Special Agent Perrye Turner, jointly announced the guilty plea.