Ford Heights Mayor Charles Griffin was convicted Monday of misappropriating village funds, although he was not held responsible for stealing the full $147,000 that prosecutors requested.
Cook County Judge James Obbish said Griffin is guilty of a felony count of embezzling between $10,000 and $100,000 in public funds “to benefit himself, his family and friends” from 2014 to 2017, both during and after his first term as Ford Heights mayor. .
Griffin served as mayor of the city of 1,750 from 2009 to 2017, and despite being under federal indictment, was re-elected to the post in 2021.
Lawyers presented all the evidence last week in closing arguments presented on Tuesday.
“A person is ineligible to take the oath for a municipal office if that person … has been convicted in any court of the United States of any infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony …,” according to current Illinois law.
Prosecutors charged Griffin after secret accounts containing $147,000 in public funds were discovered and reported to authorities by former Mayor Annie Coulter’s office shortly after she took office in 2017.
Griffin was taken to prison in August 2018 and released on bail shortly after. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx released a press release condemning “theft by a person in a position of public trust,” saying it “will not be tolerated.”
“Soon after Griffin left office, the village discovered irregular activity in accounts at BMO Harris Bank under the village’s name that did not appear to have been previously disclosed to the village trustee and or other village officials,” Foxx said in the news release.
Two funds listed Griffin’s personal address, authorities said. One of the accounts contained deposits from the state treasurer’s office representing the village’s share of video game taxes, the state’s attorney argued.
“Significant portions of the money withdrawn from this account were used for Griffin’s personal expenses,” the office said in 2018, adding that debit card transactions include spending at Walmart, Home Depot, Menards, LA Fitness and various restaurants.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
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