Members of the Illinois State Police have collected information about businesses owned by Ald. Roudell Kirkwood, 4th Ward, and about the potential theft of government funds, wire fraud, official misconduct and forgery related to the city of Waukegan, court records show.
Representatives of the state police and the Lake County state’s attorney’s office appeared at Waukegan City Hall Thursday with a search warrant seeking potential evidence of those crimes and left with documents and other items, according to officials and court records.
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Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a text Tuesday, “Our special investigations division assisted the Illinois State Police with an ongoing investigation directed at records held in City Hall. We have no further comment at this time.”
Officials left with information related to liquor and video gaming license applications, and liquor and business licenses of companies owned or operated by Kirkwood, according to the warrant. They also took a thumb drive containing emails, as well as food and beverage tax ledgers.
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Kirkwood was indicted by a Lake County grand jury in July on 26 counts of forgery, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of official misconduct — all Class 3 felonies — and one count of theft by deception, a Class 1 felony.
Steve Spagnolo, a spokesperson for Rinehart’s office, said this investigation is being conducted by the state police, not the state’s attorney’s office. When asked if he would confirm or deny if the search was related to the Kirkwood case, he declined to comment.
The Kirkwood prosecution is being handled by the Kane County state’s attorney’s office. Rinehart said in July the Kirkwood case was given to a special prosecutor. Before he was elected states attorney more than two years ago, he represented a member of Kirkwood’s family.
Rinehart said in July he asked Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser to handle the case so his office could avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. He said in Tuesday’s text Kane County, “is not handling this matter,” referring to the investigation related to the warrant.
Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor said in an email Tuesday she is aware of the search conducted by the state police and the Lake County state’s attorney’s office. She said she advised all city personnel to cooperate.
“I urge city employees and elected officials to fully cooperate with this investigation and any other inquiries from law enforcement,” Taylor said in the email.
Arriving with a request for a litany of items, investigators left with 35 pages of liquor license applications, printouts of 21 pages of emails, liquor licenses, businesses licenses and the thumb drive relating to businesses owned or operated by Kirkwood, according to receipts attached to the warrant.
Along with the materials seized, officials sought documents pertaining to video gaming licenses, COVID relief grants, parameters regarding the issuance of COVID grants and external communications between the city and Kirkwood, according to the warrant.
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Officials were also looking for evidence of revenue from liquor and gaming taxes owed by Kirkwood’s businesses, monthly summary sheets for the companies, records used to prepare tax filings, agreements between the city and Kirkwood regarding those agreements and documents showing proof of the residency of the businesses, according to the warrant.
Spagnolo said the special investigations division provides criminal investigation or litigation support for criminal and civil matters. Those cases typically involve political corruption, election complaints, financial crimes and task force cases.
