Barrington schools worker held on $250,000 bond

The Barrington District 220 maintenance employee accused of bilking the school district out of hundreds of thousands of dollars was ordered held on $250,000 bond Wednesday by a Lake County judge.

Assistant Lake County State's Attorney Steve Scheller said 53-year-old William G. Schwartz of Burlington, Wis., is accused of billing the school district for locker parts over a span of roughly six years that netted him roughly $45,000 a year. He is charged with felony theft and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Scheller said the district officials thought they were contracting the locker parts purchases to two different outfits, but in reality investigators determined the companies were owned by Schwartz.

Neither company was registered with the secretary of state's office and neither ever paid taxes, Scheller said.

Schwartz told investigators he had access to the bank accounts for the companies, but maintained the companies were legitimate outfits.

A district buildings and grounds supervisor saw irregularities in the expenses and reported the findings to the district, who then contacted authorities. Investigators uncovered roughly 280 work orders for locker parts over a six-year span that amounted to roughly $60,000 a year, a small portion of which paid for actual parts.

Scheller said investigators learned that neighboring school districts spent about $5,000 to $6,000 a year on replacement locker parts.

Authorities said additional charges could be filed. The charges are already enhanced because the alleged theft occurred on school grounds and involved government funds.