Former Manager of Fraternal Order of Police Lodges Sentenced for Wire Fraud

FRANKFORT, Ky. - A Lexington, Ky., man, Kevin Ryan Straw, 40, was sentenced on Tuesday to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier for wire fraud.

According to the information and his plea agreement, between 2021 and 2024, Straw served as President of Metropolitan Lodge 32, Fraternal Order of Police, based in Louisville, Ky., and, at various times, served as the Vice President and Government Affairs Chair of the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, based in Frankfort, Ky. Straw devised a scheme to defraud both FOP Lodges and numerous individual victims of money through materially false pretenses, representations, and promises. Straw defrauded individuals through an investment fraud scheme, defrauding at least ten individuals out of a total of $80,340. In addition, Straw misappropriated $49,760 from Metro Lodge 32 through cash withdrawals he falsely claimed were made to transfer the funds to a different Metro Lodge 32 account. Finally, Straw charged $15,501.48 in personal expenses to the State FOP credit card and requested reimbursement from the State FOP for $41,562.97 in travel expenses not incurred. In total, Straw defrauded $187,164.45 from Metro Lodge 32, the State FOP, and the investment fraud victims.

In one victim impact statement, the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police stated, "Ryan Straw was given access, authority, and confidence because of promises he made to our organization. That trust was violated. The harm resulting from such a violation is particularly severe because the Kentucky State FOP relies heavily on trust to function effectively. We ask the Court to recognize that crimes involving dishonesty and abuse of trust have consequences that extend far beyond monetary restitution. They damage institutions, undermine confidence, fracture relationships, and leave scars on the organizations and people affected."

As part of his judgement, Straw was ordered to pay $187,164.45 in restitution.

"Law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to protecting and serving others, and they deserve the same protection and integrity from those entrusted to represent them. Straw betrayed that trust by using his positions within the Fraternal Order of Police to defraud the very organization and individuals he was supposed to serve," said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. "Our office will continue to hold accountable those who exploit positions of trust and use them for personal gain."

Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Paul Humphrey, Chief, Louisville Metro Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General's Office, and the Louisville Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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