Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced his office obtained a guilty plea in a case against a former suburban public works director who used village resources to finance a bathroom upgrade.
Raoul’s office prosecuted Scott Russell, 60, of Riverside, Illinois, who pleaded guilty today to one Class 2 felony count of theft of governmental property. Russell paid full restitution of $1,139.42 to the Village of Westchester. He was sentenced by Cook County Circuit Court Judge James Novy to two years of second chance probation and 30 hours of public service work.
“Government employees – whether they work at the local, state or federal level – are charged with carrying out the work of the people they serve and must be held to a higher standard,” Raoul said. “I will continue to partner with local and state agencies to hold accountable anyone who defrauds the public.”
Raoul charged Russell in September 2023 after an investigation by the Illinois State Police revealed he used a Village of Westchester credit card to purchase a bathtub intended for private use.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Haley Bookhout and Assistant Attorney General Tim Nimrod handled the case for Raoul’s Office.
Original source can be found here.