Former Police Chief Piscia Refunded Thousands in Pension Contributions

Former Frankfort Police Department chief and current assistant village administrator Rob Piscia will be refunded $23,709 in contributions he made to the department’s police pension fund during the last two years, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Frankfort Police Pension Board approved Piscia’s refund request at a special meeting on Thursday, said the Tribune. Three of the board’s five trustees were present at the meeting.

The refund follows recent controversy regarding Piscia’s eligibility for police pension funds while serving as the village assistant administrator, the Tribune said.

Piscia will be refunded for all pension contributions made between Sept. 17, 2010 and Sept. 14, 2012, reports the Tribune. He will not receive interest on the contributions for which he is being refunded.

By ceasing his pension fund participation in September 2010 instead of September 2012, Piscia lost approximately $9,000 per year from his future pension, the Tribune calculated. Without those two years of pension credit, Piscia’s potential future pension was reduced from approximately $75,000 per year to $66,000 per year.

According to the Tribune, Piscia came under fire in May, when the Illinois Department of Insurance, which acts as an oversight agency for local police pension boards, issued an advisory opinion stating that Piscia should have ended his pension fund participation in September 2010.

Several Frankfort police officers also expressed concern in a letter submitted to the police pension board in July addressing Piscia’s activity regarding the pension fund, said the Tribune.

The Frankfort Village Board appointed Piscia assistant administrator in 2010. He began transitioning into the role in May of that year, but said his main responsibility continued to be his duties as police chief until a replacement was hired in September 2010, according to the Tribune.

Once he made a full transition to his new position as the assistant village administrator, Piscia continued to contribute to the police pension fund and to earn credible service toward his own police pension, said the Tribune.

When approached about his continued pension fund contributions, Piscia initially said he believed he was still eligible for participation in the fund, because he kept his status as a sworn police officer and maintained police-related duties while serving as assistant administrator, the Tribune said.

Piscia was scheduled to state his case during a pension board hearing on Sept. 17, but shortly before the date of the hearing, Piscia told the board he planned to end his participation in the police pension fund as of September 2010, reports the Tribune. The hearing was then canceled.

Piscia is currently 48 years old. He can begin collecting police pension funds at age 50.

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