Mark Sander has been a Rockford police officer since August 2000.

He previously worked as a Boone County sheriff deputy.

In the afternoon of October 12th, 2019, Sander, then a sergeant, received a call from then detective Vincent Kelly who informed Sander of a City of Rockford employee alleging that Rockford police officer Dan Basile had raped her.

Sander then called detective Janie Martin to ask for her assistance in interviewing the victim. The three officers met at Rockford police District Two. Kelly briefed the two on what he had learned so far before introducing the two cops to the victim.

She offered her phone up to be searched which Sander took and gave to detective Christopher Jones while Martin and Kelly further interviewed the victim.

Jones was tasked with preparing a search warrant of Basile’s residence. During the preparation of the warrant, Jones found out that due to Basile recently having an order of protection filed against him, his FOID card was revoked meaning he was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Then lieutenant Rob Reffett, Kelly, Martin, Sander, and Martin met at the Roscoe police station prior to executing the search warrant at roughly 1 a.m.

Basile answered the door with a phone in hand that he offered to the officers. Sander found two more cellphones inside the residence that he gave to Jones. The officers requested Basile open a safe. Inside officers found:

Ruger LC9 9mm semi-automatic handgun with magazine and 7 rounds of FC Luger 9mm

Ammunition - BEAST Tag 016

3 Speer .40 caliber live rounds of ammunition - BEAST Tag 015

Black cloth holster - BEAST Tag 012

Again, Basile was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to an existing Order of Protection.

Detective Jones after obtaining Basile's phone and reviewing the footage, Jones wrote in his report that the content and the angle of possibly hundreds of images

"disturbed" him. He described the angle as a "voyeur" covert angle.

On October 23rd, 2019, Sander and other officers after speaking to Winnebago county states attorney and judges, secured an arrest warrant for Basile on a criminal sexual assault charge.

RPD officers arrested Basile at his residence without incident.

Kelly was brought in front of the grand jury where he was asked how he knew Basile told committed this sexual assault. Kelly answered that Basile told him that he did it.

Because of Kelly’s answer, Basile’s lawyers put in a motion to dismiss the case claiming that Kelly lied to the grand jury in that Basile never told him that he sexually assaulted anyone.

The motion was granted, the case was dismissed and Basile was a free man. He was allowed to retire in good standing with the Rockford police department.

Since then, he has a third OP filed against him. all three claim Basile abused them sexually and/or domestically. Two of them claim Basile took photos while sexually assaulting them. It's alleged Basile threatened them and stated over and over that no one would believe them and his job as a Rockford police would protect him.

In 2019, Sander made $103,842 in salary + $5,620 in overtime = $109,462 + $25,350 in health insurance + $30,497 pension pay.

In 2020, they made $108,538 in salary + $2,934 in overtime = $111,472 + $16,900 in health insurance + $33,025 in pension pay.

In 2021, they made $119,790 in salary + $5,871 in overtime = $125,661 + $16,640 in health insurance + $34,932 in pension pay.

In 2022, they made $124,527 in salary + $276 in overtime = $124,803 + $16,640 in health insurance + $39,700 in pension pay.

In 2023, they made $135,702 in salary + $16,640 in health insurance + $46,059 in pension pay.

In 2024, they made $129,461 in salary + $17,550 in health insurance + $52,059 in pension pay.

If you or anyone you know has been abused, harassed or otherwise mistreated by this officer please email us with the officers name in the subject.