St. Louis, MO  (KTRS)  A former Pine Lawn police lieutenant is facing up to twenty years behind bars after being convicted on federal charges.

The U.S. attorney’s office announced that 35-year-old Steven Blakeney has been found guilty of three criminal civil rights charges. Prosecutors say the false arrest happened in March 2013 while Blakeny was working for the Pine Lawn police force.

Witnesses testified during his trial that he ordered another person to falsely report that the mayoral candidate had stolen a campaign poster from a business and then arranged for that candidate to be arrested.

The candidate wasn’t named in the release,but during the April 2015 corruption trial of former Pine Lawn Mayor Sylvester Caldwell, a witness testified that he helped frame Nakisha Ford, who was running against Caldwell.

Blakeney’s sentencing is set for May 4th.