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Why the Hillsdale Village Clerk was indicted

Rock Island County officials say Hillsdale, Illinois village clerk Jane Lundquist faces two felony counts of official misconduct in connection with credits issu...

HILLSDALE, Illinois - Rock Island County officials say Hillsdale, Illinois village clerk Jane Lundquist faces two felony counts of official misconduct in connection with credits issued to sanitation accounts.

County officials seized Lundquist's village computer in late August 2015, after allegations were made that credits were issued to various accounts between July 2010 and July 2015.

The balance of the sanitation fund account did not include the proper amount that should have been collected for the fund, according to Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos and Rock Island County State's Attorney John McGehee.  Lundquist did not have the authority to make decisions about whether to credit or collect money due to the fund.

A grand jury convened Monday, March 28, 2016 and returned a two-count indictment against Lundquist.  She turned herself in to the Rock Island County Jail at about 6 p.m. Monday, and spent about a half-hour there before she was released when she posted 10% of her $10,000 bond.

"The charge states she wrote off or excused debt in what we call a credit memo.  One is for $540 and one was for $600.  So the charge identifies that two different charges were excused or written off.  That’s what the charge states," McGehee said.  He declined to go into more detail about the charge; and Bustos said he was not aware of any relationship between Lundquist and the accounts to which credit memos were issued.

"As the village clerk, their job is to collect fees for these various funds.  In this investigation, we believe that there were fees that she did not collect, she gave credits on, that she should have collected for the village," Bustos said.

For now, Lundquist remained village clerk, Bustos said.  It is an elected position, from which she is not automatically removed because of an arrest or indictment.

In addition to possible prison time, Lundquist could be held liable for part or all of the expenses the village paid to conduct the forensic audit of her work computer if she is convicted, McGehee said.

The case could be heard by a jury unless Lundquist asks the court for a bench trial, McGehee said.

 

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