On Wednesday, the already complicated case of suburban Chicago police officer Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, who killed himself because he feared his embezzlement of city funds was about to be uncovered, took another dark turn.
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On Wednesday afternoon, officials in Lake County, Ill., announced that Melodie Gliniewicz, the officer’s widow, was indicted by a grand jury there on charges related to the theft.
Accordingly, Melodie’s husband, a Fox Lake police lieutenant, took his life last September after allegations of misconduct against him have been reported.
The wife of Joe Gliniewicz, the crooked IL cop who killed himself past year, was indicted Wednesday on charges of embezzling from a police charity and money laundering.
Melodie Gliniewicz is accused of helping her late husband, Fox Lake Police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, siphon money from a youth program. Her attorneys deny the accusations, saying she was “a victim of her husband’s secret action”. “It is my hope the community can continue healing and rebuilding”.
A spokesman for the Lake County Sheriff’s Department says that investigators determined that the couple’s adult son, D.J. Gliniewicz, received money from the account but did not have any idea where it came from and will not be charged with any financial crime. Melodie is also said to be devastated as she has been very cooperative with the officials and the charges were unexpected.
“This entire matter has been a sad and tragic saga for the Village of Fox Lake”, Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim said in a statement.
Authorities concluded his shooting was self-inflicted after federal investigators in Quantico, Virginia, recovered text messages that Gliniewicz had deleted from his cell phone.
Monday, Sept. 7: Hundreds of police officers from around the country attend Gliniewicz’s funeral with a mile-long procession through Fox Lake.
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In recent months, authorities have said they have been looking at two people besides Joe Gliniewicz in connection with the use of funds from the Explorer Post. The Gliniewiczes allegedly used the cash over a period of years, paying for a vacation to Hawaii and over 400 restaurant bills, among other things. Authorities say Melodie Gliniewicz served as an adviser to the Explorer Post and had a fiduciary role with the program’s finances. The Explorer program teaches teens about law enforcement.
