Former Vernon Hills deputy police chief pleads guilty to charges of theft where he wrote fake traffic tickets, pocketed more than $4K

As part of a plea deal, Patrick Zimmerman, 51, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft tied to falsifying records to obtain money for work he did not perform. The theft was related to a traffic enforcement program, known as “STEP,” administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, according to a news release from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.