Authorities: Inmate stole from DuPage jail fund

When Shaun Smith was released from DuPage County jail in December, he walked out with a check for about $5 that he had remaining in a commissary account for inmates.

It wasn't much, at least not until the 21-year-old used that check to transfer more than $4,500 from the jail fund into his own accounts, prosecutors said Friday.

Smith, of Gilman, was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on felony charges of theft and financial institution fraud.

He had been out of custody only a week or so before he began stealing from the closely monitored fund, where inmates keep money to buy basic goods such as toiletries and snacks from the jail commissary, sheriff's spokeswoman Dawn Domrose said.

She said inmates who have funds left in the account receive a check when they're released.

“(Smith) took the information from the bottom of his check and used it to commit fraud,” Domrose said.

Smith could face an extended term of two to 10 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said, because of his criminal history.

State records show he was paroled Dec. 1, 2010, from Danville Correctional Center after serving several sentences for forgery, theft and other financial crimes originating in Cook, DuPage, Will and Iroquois counties.

It wasn't immediately clear why Smith was remanded to the jail after his release from prison. Court records indicate he faces recently filed forgery charges in downstate Iroquois County, where he was being held Friday.

A judge set bail on Smith's DuPage case at $100,000, meaning Smith would need to post $10,000 to be released here. His next court appearance in Wheaton is set for Wednesday, June 22, in front of Judge Robert Kleeman.

Domrose said the sheriff's office worked with its bank to ensure no other inmates lost money as a result of the thefts.