McHenry County sheriff criticizes fraternal group

In an unusual move targeting both aggressive telemarketers and political rivals, McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren urged county residents Friday to be wary when dealing with a fraternal organization based within his department.

In an open letter to the public, Nygren said solicitors for McHenry County Sheriff's Patrolman's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 118 misled residents about how it spends donations received over the phone.

Telemarketers for the group, Nygren later said, falsely claim they're raising funds for much-needed bulletproof vests, K-9 units and drug enforcement efforts for his department.

""We provide bullet-proof vests for all our deputies," the sheriff said. "We pay for everything on the K-9 unit. They do nothing on drug education."

In his letter, Nygren encourages residents to contact the Illinois attorney general's charitable trust bureau if they have a complaint about telemarketer tactics.

"We've had an inordinately high number of phone calls from people who are ticked off," Nygren said. "On several occasions we've talked to the FOP representatives telling them, 'Hey, you need to do something about controlling these people,' and that does no good.

"Nothing ever happens when we speak to them so we're going to the people," he added.

FOP 118 President Tom Sanders, the Spring Grove police chief, and Treasurer Ron Salgado did not return phone calls for comment Friday.

State records show that between January 2004 and December 2006, the organization collected nearly $400,000 to bring its assets to about $537,287.

In 2004 and 2005, according to federal tax records, the group spent about $51,000 to "provide benefits and/or assistance for law enforcement officers; donations to local charitable organizations."

Nygren has a long history of legal and political battles with FOP 118 and its leadership.

In 1998, Sanders unsuccesfully challenged Nygren for the Republican party's sheriff nomination. It was the first and only election challenge Nygren has faced from within the GOP.

In 2003, the two sides battled in court after the FOP sued Nygren for access to documents from an internal investigation into the group's activities.

The inquiry examined allegations -- repeated by Nygren Friday -- that the group discriminated against some deputies by denying them membership if they did not hold certain views.

Both the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Illinois Department of Human Rights also looked into the complaints but decided against pursuing charges.