Former Village of Washington Park Mayor’s Assistant Sentenced to Prison for Misapplication of Property and Filing False Income Tax Return

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on September 11, 2009, LINDA CONNOR, age 54, of Belleville, Illinois, was sentenced to serve thirty-six (36) months in federal prison for her convictions on a two-count Indictment which charged her with Filing a False Federal Income Tax Return and Misapplication of Property Under the Care, Custody and Control of Washington Park, a Local Government That Receives Federal Funds. LINDA CONNOR was also sentenced to serve three years supervised release following her release from prison. She was additionally ordered to pay restitution to the Village of Washington Park in the amount of $369,587.58 and to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $60,102.

The convictions are the result of CONNOR’s conduct as the Treasurer and as the Mayor’s Assistant for the Village of Washington Park from April 2005 through 2007, during which time she embezzled and intentionally misapplied money and property in the amount of $369,587.58. The money that was embezzled caused employee’s pension funds to be underfunded. CONNOR filed a false 2006 federal income tax return which understated her taxable income by approximately $190,000. The embezzlement of funds contributed to the Village of Washington Park having to file bankruptcy in July of this year.

The investigation of the case was handled by the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor/Office of Labor Racketeering. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.

If you come across evidence of public corruption activities please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (877) U-TIP-OFF