Widow of disgraced Illinois police officer charged with fraud

[January 28, 2016]  By Suzannah Gonzales
 
 CHICAGO (Reuters) - The widow of a northern Illinois policeman who committed suicide in September was indicted on Wednesday on charges related to his suspected embezzlement from a youth police explorer program he ran, officials said.

Melodie Gliniewicz, 51, was indicted on felony charges of disbursing charitable funds without authority and for personal benefit as well as money laundering, Lake County sheriff's and state's attorney officials said in a statement.

An investigation into Fox Lake Police Lieutenant Charles Gliniewicz's death found inconsistencies in financial documents and cash withdrawals from the account for the police explorer program he ran for more than 20 years, the statement said.

Money taken from the account for the explorer post over several years was used for a Hawaii trip, over 400 restaurant charges and other personal expenses, officials said.

Melodie Gliniewicz also held a fiduciary role as an adult adviser to the explorer post, officials said.

Attorneys for Melodie Gliniewicz said she had suffered greatly over the past few months and was devastated by the charges brought against her.

"Melodie is a victim of her husband's secret actions and looks forward to her day in Court to show the world her innocence," her attorneys said in a statement.

She turned herself in on Wednesday afternoon after a Lake County judge issued an arrest warrant and set bond at $50,000, authorities said.

Charles Gliniewicz, 52, was found fatally wounded in a remote area of Fox Lake, near the Wisconsin border about 55 miles north of Chicago. Authorities said in November he had killed himself in a carefully staged suicide as village officials began learning about his embezzlement.

Hundreds of local, state and federal officers searched for suspects in his killing for days and mourners packed a funeral for Gliniewicz, a 30-year veteran of the department who was known as "G.I. Joe" in the community.

"This entire matter has been a sad and tragic saga for the Village of Fox Lake," Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said in a statement.

(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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