A top ranking civilian employee for the Milwaukee Police Department was charged with election fraud after a complaint alleged that she was living outside the city limits of Milwaukee but still voting in city elections.

Marcey Patterson, 45, was charged with election fraud in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court after a complaint alleged that she has been using her 80-year-old mother’s address to vote and claim thousands of dollars in incentives from the Milwaukee Police Department.

The complaint alleges that Patterson changed her residency in June of 2025 after being confronted, with the amended form saying that she lives in Glendale. Patterson was able to claim $8,200 in benefits as a result of the fraudulent filing under an incentive for Milwaukee employees who reside in the city.

“These forms, filled out and submitted by Patterson, established that for the entirety of her employment at MPD she did not (reside) within in the City of Milwaukee,” the complaint said. (RELATED: Milwaukee Police Break Up ‘Street Takeover’ Amid Crime Epidemic)

The election fraud charge is a Class I felony and carries a maximum punishment of a $10,000 fine, three and a half years of imprisonment, or both.

The scandal is not the first time that Milwaukee government employees have been implicated in election fraud, as Kimberly Zapata, the former deputy director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, was found guilty of using fake names to request military absentee ballots in a trial last year.

MPD Chief Jeffrey Norman addressed the recent criminal incident by saying that the department holds all members of its department to ‘the highest standards’,

“We hold all members of our department—sworn and civilian—to the highest standards of ethical conduct. We will continue to act decisively to maintain public trust and uphold the values of this organization.” (RELATED: Mayor of Milwaukee Chooses Convicted Murderer to Lead ‘Violence Prevention Office’)