Man indicted in $882,000 theft

A Lake Geneva, Wis. man was indicted Wednesday and charged with stealing $882,000 from a trio of Libertyville medical clinics.

John McCall, 70, faces a mandatory prison sentence of at least four years if convicted of felony theft, wire fraud and money laundering.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Christen Bishop said McCall was hired in 2001 to be the comptroller for three clinics in Libertyville owned by Dr. Bruce Irwin.

Shortly after taking the position, Bishop said, McCall set up a pair of phony corporations and offered to act as a private contractor to collect overdue debts for the clinics. Bishop said McCall's arrangement called for him to be paid 30 percent of any money he collected that was owed to the Center for Pain Control, Grand Oaks Surgical Center and Grand Oaks Anesthesia.

But Bishop said that from the time McCall started the debt collection business until his resignation in December 2007, he took 30 percent of all money coming into all three businesses.

McCall transferred the money into his shell corporations, Bishop said, and then into his own bank accounts.

McCall was arrested in January after an audit of the books of the businesses uncovered the scheme. He was released after posting $5,000 for bond.

He is scheduled to be arraigned April 6 before Associate Judge George Bridges.