Woman accused of sending disturbing e-mails to mayor
Lake in the Hills police have arrested a 43-year-old village resident this week on charges she sent a series of disturbing e-mails to Village President Ed Plaza demanding he pay her hundreds of thousands of dollars and help her move out of town.
Amy Pezen, of 1525 Jefferson St., faces eight counts of disorderly conduct in connection with some of the 41 e-mails authorities say she sent Plaza between Feb. 1 and 21.
Although none overtly threaten Plaza, they were alarming enough that police took them seriously, particularly in light of last month's fatal shootings at Northern Illinois University and at a Kirkwood, Mo., city council meeting.
"There were things happening that made us take a hard look at what was going on," said Mary Frake, chief of support services for Lake in the Hills police. "They garnered serious attention from us because their content was disturbing."
Pezen, who is free on $1,000 bond pending a court date later this month, did not return a call for comment Thursday.
Plaza declined comment on the e-mails, saying it would be inappropriate to remark on a pending criminal matter.
The charges stem from eight e-mails police say Pezen sent Plaza between Feb. 13 and Feb. 20.
According to a criminal complaint filed this week in McHenry County Circuit Court, the e-mails included references to the NIU shootings, Plaza being monitored and sexual abuse.
Several, court documents indicate, demanded Plaza pay her money, including one seeking $500,000 a year "for eternity" and another demanding an annual income for the next 10,000 years.
The first two e-mails listed in the complaint tells Plaza his friends are being "put out to pasture" and that he will go to prison if he doesn't move her out of Lake in the Hills.
Frake said Plaza did not know Pezen prior to receiving the e-mails and she has no known issues or conflicts with the village or its president.
The charges against Pezen are Class C misdemeanors punishable by a maximum 30 days in jail and $1,500 fine.