No New Criminal Charges Investigation Shows 'Mismanagement' in Sheriff's Office

Gordon, Tony, Lissau, Russell, Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Byline: Tony Gordon and Russell Lissau Daily Herald Staff Writers

A three-year investigation into allegations of wrongdoing in the Lake County sheriff's office has ended and won't result in more criminal charges, prosecutors announced.

However, the joint inquiry by the attorney general's office and the local state's attorney's office uncovered "significant financial mismanagement, incompetence and lack of supervision," officials said.

"The lack of additional criminal charges does not mean there was nothing wrong in the sheriff's office," said Ellen Mandeltort, deputy attorney general for criminal justice.

Prosecutors released the 11-page report summarizing their findings Wednesday.

The investigation - sparked by allegations former corrections officer Michael Horowitz made in August 2003 -already has resulted in the indictment of two ex-jail directors and resignations of two high-ranking county officials.

Former jailers Lawrence Lesza and Charles DeFillipo were indicted last year and charged with filing false documents in an attempt to increase DeFillipo's pension by more than $300,000. The two have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to go on trial Dec. 4. …

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Publication information: Article title: No New Criminal Charges Investigation Shows 'Mismanagement' in Sheriff's Office. Contributors: Gordon, Tony - Author, Lissau, Russell - Author. Newspaper title: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL). Publication date: August 10, 2006. Page number: 1. © 2009 Paddock Publications. COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group.

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