Man charged with exploiting mother-in-law

A 44-year-old Lake in the Hills man is facing up to 15 years in prison on charges he spent about $225,000 of his mother-in-law's money to buy himself a house.

A McHenry County grand jury indicted Michael W. Greer, 44, late last month on charges of financial exploitation of an elderly person and forgery stemming from what authorities say was the misappropriation of funds left in his care.

McHenry County Sheriff's deputies arrested Greer over the weekend on a warrant and he was freed this week after posting a $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on the charges Nov. 6.

The arrest ends a long investigation begun in June 2005 shortly after the woman's death, when an attorney for her estate contacted police about some apparent irregularities, Lake in the Hills police Sgt. Mark Mogan said Wednesday.

The investigation, Mogan said, revealed Greer had abused his position of responsibility over his mother-in-law's finances in October 2004.

"He used her money for his own personal gain," Mogan said. "Specifically, he bought a house and put it in his name."

Greer's wife at the time, Mogan said, is not being charged and has told investigators she was unaware of the alleged illegal activities by her husband.

The exploitation charge against Greer is a Class 1 felony punishable by four to 15 years if he is found guilty. The forgery charge is a Class 3 felony punishable by two to five years in prison.