A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit alleging the City of Bloomington violated a couple’s civil rights during a 2023 theft investigation.
Cassandra and Jadeyn Lacey claimed a Bloomington police officer initiated a false investigation and had them arrested without probable cause. Both were accused of diverting $16,000 from the Bloomington medical spa where they worked for personal expenses. The Laceys were granted a directed verdict by McLean County Judge Amy McFarland before the case went to trial.
The suit, filed Feb. 25 with the Central District of Illinois in Peoria, accused Bloomington Police Sergeant Timmothy “Ty” Carlton of initiating the 2023 investigation despite a conflict of interest with individuals at Blueze Wellness whose business partnership with the Laceys had soured.
In its motion to dismiss, the City of Bloomington said the Laceys were alleging the city was responsible for the misconduct of Blueze’s owners by allegedly contacting police on false pretenses. The Laceys further claimed they had been mistreated and subjected to unnecessary pain and suffering while detained in the McLean County jail for over 30 hours following their arrest. The city argued the complaint, filed more than two-and-a-half years after the arrests, was past the two-year statute of limitations.
A federal judge dismissed the case on Aug. 25 with prejudice, meaning the Laceys may not file the same claim again. Attorneys for Cassandra and Jadeyn Lacey and the City of Bloomington did not respond to WGLT’s requests for comment.
Carlton, a BPD veteran with 22 years on the force, was later fired after an internal police investigation determined he had shared information with the Laceys to try and thwart a police investigation unrelated to the 2023 theft case.
The Laceys were not charged in a separate allegation they’d stolen fentanyl vials from Blueze. A special prosecutor declined to press criminal charges against Carlton. McLean County State’s Attorney Erika Reynolds recused her office from reviewing that case.
Carlton's lawsuit
Carlton has filed his own lawsuit against the city, saying he was fired in retaliation. The suit, filed Aug. 20, 2024 in the Peoria Division of Illinois Central District court, claimed the city refused to consider evidence supporting his defense and failed to afford him due process.
The lawsuit names Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington, Assistant Chief Chad Wamsley and Assistant Chief Paul Williams as co-defendants. Carlton alleges he was terminated “because he spoke out in advocacy of the police department’s union members and as to matters of public concern involving an order to pull over motorists on the basis of race,” thus violating his constitutional right to free speech, according the public filings.
Sometime in January 2023, the lawsuit says, Simington became concerned “about the department’s breakdown of minority traffic stopes compared to white driver traffic stops.
“To avoid the potential accusation that the BPD was engaged in racial profiling, Simington and Williams issued an order for officers to make more traffic stops of white individuals.”
Carlton claims the order to “pull more white people over” was repeated in August 2023 in an email to BPD lieutenants.
“Following BPD’s receipt of a FOIA for the August 2023 email, that was traced back to Carlton, Assistant Chief Williams told a group of Lieutenants and on Sergeant that he was going to make life hell for the person behind the FOIA request.”
WGLT has filed a public records request seeking copies of internal BPD communication regarding the order to make traffic stops based on race.
Carlton’s attorneys did not respond to an email requesting comment about the Laceys lawsuit or their own.
Williams is a co-defendant with the City of Bloomington on a separate lawsuit filed last month by two Bloomington men who claim they were subject to false arrest and other rights violations. That federal lawsuit remains pending.
Williams, a 39-year BPD veteran, was on administrative leave pending the results of the lawsuit and an internal investigation into his alleged misconduct. He filed for retirement last week.
