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Former Lake County health official facing weapons charge

A former Lake County Health Department official who previously admitted stealing $39,875 by receiving pay for hours he did not work was back in court Wednesday on charges he illegally possessed a handgun.

Thomas Job, who was sentenced June 29 for felony theft, pleaded not guilty to allegations he was holding a loaded handgun inside his Spring Grove home on July 3.

Job, 67, was the rehabilitation coordinator for the department’s addiction treatment program when charged last year with manipulating time-keeping records in order to collect unearned pay.

A second department employee, Richard Morelli, 60, of Highland Park, has pleaded not guilty to charges he collected $46,619 through the same scheme. He is due in court again Aug. 15.

Lake County Associate Judge George Bridges sentenced Job to a probation term that includes a year in jail when not working or receiving medical or psychological care, ordered him to pay full restitution and fined him $25,000.

Job was arrested July 3 when police were called to his home in the 38000 block of Primrose Path when he, reportedly despondent over the terms of his sentence, was threatening suicide. The deputy who arrived at the house found Job with the gun and took him into custody without incident, Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Demartini said Wednesday.

Because of the felony conviction, Job is not allowed to possession any firearms, Demartini added.

Bridges told Job he faces up to five years in prison if convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

The judge scheduled a trial for Aug. 29 and told Job, who is still waiting for a bed to become available in the county jail’s periodic imprisonment program, to appear in court again Aug. 19.