Gliniewicz bank accounts remain frozen; widow gets $4,187
A freeze order remains in place on the personal bank accounts of the wife of disgraced former Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz.
But in an order prepared earlier this week, officials from the Lake County state's attorney's office released $4,187 to Melodie Gliniewicz for her personal use.
It's unclear why the state released the money to Melodie Gliniewicz because Judge Christopher Starck banned attorneys from discussing details of the case outside the courtroom.
Defense attorneys and Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ken LaRue are due back in court Nov. 30 for a status hearing on the bulk of the money in Melodie Gliniewicz's financial accounts. A hearing in front of Starck to unfreeze the accounts will be held Dec. 7.
The Lake County state's attorney's office froze numerous personal bank accounts of Melodie Gliniewicz earlier this month amid a criminal investigation into an embezzlement scam by her husband, who killed himself Sept. 1.
Authorities say Charles Gliniewicz stole money earmarked for the Fox Lake Law Enforcement Explorer Post 300 he led as an adviser. No charges have been filed against Melodie Gliniewicz.
Investigators said Charles Gliniewicz killed himself to cover up the thefts of funds from the Explorers. Lake County Major Crimes task force Cmdr. George Filenko said more than $250,000 was funneled through the Explorer fund, and Charles Gliniewicz is suspected of stealing more than "five figures" from the youth program.
According to authorities, Charles Gliniewicz had been using the Fox Lake Explorer bank account "to cover personal expenses on a consistent basis" between September 2008 and April 2015.
The purchases made with the account include coffee, movie tickets, hormone supplements and dating websites, and cash withdrawals. Authorities also said in court documents that Charles Gliniewicz used money from the account to purchase a trip to Hawaii costing $5,683 in August 2014, and to pay a student loan costing $15,234.
Court records show the largest cash withdrawal from the Explorer account was $7,000, and the same amount was deposited into the account of Melodie Gliniewicz.
Melodie Gliniewicz wrote four checks out of her own personal account that were deposited into the Explorer account, court records show. The largest check of $4,275 had a notation that read, "Hawaii reimburse pd in full."
Melodie Gliniewicz's attorneys denied any wrongdoing or "money laundering" in any of those transactions.
In a news release this week, Melodie Gliniewicz said she learned her account was frozen when she attempted to purchase gas for her vehicle. Because her funds were frozen, the release said, she was unable to pay her mortgage, doctor bills and other family expenses.
Gliniewicz was not required to and did not appear in court Friday.