There are millions of government employees who help ensure the day-to-day lives of residents run smoothly. They provide a valuable service that enriches the lives of individuals. One government employee in Cook County has recently been accused of fraud as investigators claims she conspired with someone else to steal money from the county.
The woman, a 43-year-old, had been a county employee for approximately 16 years. Her job responsibilities included helping property owners secure reimbursement for overpaid taxes. At the time the charges were brought against her, she had moved to a position with a different local government.
According to the claims against her, her co-conspirator would submit a fake claim requesting reimbursement. Over a period of three years, authorities claim she knowingly passed over 100 fraudulent claims on for reimbursement. The money would be mailed to the co-conspirator who would then share the money with her. In all, prosecutors estimate that over $100,000 was stolen from the government.
Although the investigation is ongoing, there has been little information released supporting the claims against her. In this case, the prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the woman accused of fraud knowingly and deliberately participated in the alleged illegal activity. The woman could easily be a duped victim of the person dubbed by prosecutors as her co-conspirator and only inadvertently had a part in taking money from Cook County. As in all criminal cases, she is innocent until she is proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt a sometimes difficult standard for prosecutors to meet.
Source: nwitimes.com, Harvey Park District employee charged in county fraud scheme, No author, Aug. 23, 2013