Former Alexandria Fire Department Employee Indicted on Money-Laundering Charges

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney announced Monday that Monique Jackson-Asante, a former employee of the City of Alexandria, was indicted by a grand jury Monday on one felony charge related to the theft of City funds.

The thefts allegedly took place between January 2010 to January 2016.

Jackson-Asante, 38, a resident of Woodbridge, was an administrative assistant in the Alexandria Fire Department until her employment was terminated on Feb. 24, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said. She is accused of facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices for training and supplies.

NBC-4's Julie Carey reports Jackson-Asante created "fake invoices for pals." The investigation is ongoing and it is possible that additional people could be charged with participating in the scheme, according to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.

Jackson-Asante's LinkedIn profile says she was a Fire Training Administrative Analyst at City of Alexandria before she left in February. She worked for the City in various jobs since 1996 and began working for the fire department in 2007, her profile says. She was pictured in a social media post by the Alexandria Fire Department last October winning a "Just Say Thanks" award from the fire department. She is listed as the Secretary of the Black Fire Service Professionals of Alexandria.

On Feb. 23, the Alexandria Fire Department received information that Jackson Asante may have mishandled City funds. The City Manager’s Office directed the Alexandria Police Department to conduct a criminal investigation and directed the Office of Internal Audit to conduct an internal investigation, and Jackson Asante cooperated with these inquiries.

The City of Alexandria is seeking incarceration and full restitution of the stolen funds. Pursuant to state law, if Jackson Asante is convicted of a felony in this case, she will not be entitled to receive a public pension.

As a result of its internal investigation, the City is improving financial controls, increasing audit frequency and strengthening approvals processes.

The Alexandria Fire Department is providing additional ethics and fiscal management training and focus to appropriate administrators, managers, and officers. The City has also engaged a third-party auditing firm to conduct a review of internal financial controls beyond the annual reviews normally conducted by internal and external auditors. Disciplinary action has been taken against employees who failed to provide appropriate oversight.

PHOTO of Monique Jackson Asante courtesy of Alexandria Sheriff's Department