IllINOIS
Police today arrested James Griegel, 71, of Sauk Village, for embezzlement in connection with the alleged looting of the Sauk Village police pension of more than $21.000, according to officials.
He made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez and was ordered released on a personal recognizance bond.
The complaint alleges that Griegel fraudulently issued pension fund checks to himself and forged the names of Sauk Village officials as signatories.
Griegel listed the names of conferences and seminars on the memorandum lines of the checks to falsely make the payments appear to have been business related, according to the complaint.
Griegel then cashed the checks and used the money for his own benefit, including making purchases at gas stations, rental car locations, restaurants and storage facilities, the complaint states.
Griegel worked as the village’s treasurer from May 2013 until January 2016, when he was suspended from the post. He issued the checks over a ten-month period from April 2015 to January 2016, according to the complaint.
If convicted, Griegel is facing up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine, officials said.
Griegel is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, officials said.