South Elgin trustee charged with forgery in DuPage County
A first-term South Elgin trustee is free on $30,000 bail after being charged in DuPage County with three counts of felony forgery.
Robert Sauceda, 32, of the 0-100 block of Marie Court, turned himself in to DuPage County authorities Tuesday and posted bail.
Sauceda is accused of submitting false documents to the DuPage County Department of Probation to help the son of a family friend avoid performing court-ordered community service.
Prosecutors said Sauceda sent the probation department a letter on Aug. 13, 2015, outlining 41 hours of community service performed by Michael Garcia, 24, of Hanover Park, for the village of South Elgin.
On Aug. 21, 2014, Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of DUI.
As part of his sentence, he was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
Sauceda's letter claimed Garcia performed several community service tasks in South Elgin, including helping with the 2015 Spring Holiday Egg Hunt, assisting with the Tuna Kahuna children's fishing event in 2015 and helping clean up after the village's July 4 parade.
Prosecutors, however, say Garcia never performed any of the community service that Sauceda outlined in his letter and Sauceda knew it.
"Court orders are not optional and Sauceda's and Garcia's alleged attempts to undermine the authority of the court will not be taken lightly," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement.
South Elgin Village Administrator Steven Super declined to comment Tuesday afternoon, saying he was unaware of the charges. Village President Steven Ward did not return a voice mail left on his cellphone Tuesday afternoon.
Sauceda was forced to resign in May 2014 as Kane County's interim animal control director when the Kane County state's attorney's office began an investigation into "personnel matters" involving Sauceda and at least one other animal control employee.
Sauceda did not immediately return a voice mail left regarding the felony charges.