{"id":22838,"date":"2016-04-25T15:17:07","date_gmt":"2016-04-25T22:17:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=22838"},"modified":"2016-04-25T15:17:07","modified_gmt":"2016-04-25T22:17:07","slug":"city-official-charged-stealing-21000-police-pension-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=22838","title":{"rendered":"City Official Arrested and Charged with Stealing More than $21,000 from Police Pension Fund"},"content":{"rendered":"

IllINOIS<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Police today arrested James Griegel<\/strong>, 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"SaukHe made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez and was ordered released on a personal recognizance bond.<\/span><\/p>\n

The complaint alleges that Griegel fraudulently issued pension fund checks to himself and forged the names of Sauk Village officials as signatories.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Griegel worked as the village\u2019s treasurer from May 2013 until January 2016, when he was suspended from the post.\u00a0 He issued the checks over a ten-month period from April 2015 to January 2016, according to the complaint.<\/span><\/p>\n

If convicted, Griegel is facing up to \u00a0ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Griegel is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n