Man admits to stealing from Lincolnshire office
A New York man accused of stealing $2.5 million from a company with offices in Lincolnshire pleaded guilty to mail fraud Thursday in Lake County Circuit Court.
As part of a negotiation with prosecutors, Ian Gittlitz, 60, paid $250,000 in restitution immediately after entering his plea.
Assistant State’s Attorney Christen Bishop said Gittlitz, of Stony Brook, NY., was president and chief executive officer of ICD Publications, a publisher of trade magazines.
Between October 2000 and June 2006, Gittlitz used a company credit card to cover business-related travel and other expenses.
He also submitted vouchers for personal reimbursement for those same expenses, a “double dip” that Bishop said cost the company $2.5 million.
The vouchers were mailed to ICD offices in Lincolnshire and Long Island, NY, Bishop said.
After an audit uncovered the abuse in 2007, Gittlitz was fired and company officials have sued him in Cook County Circuit Court seeking the return of the full amount.
Attorney Mary Clark, who represents ICD officials in the civil suit, was present in court Thursday and said the lawsuit is pending.
Circuit Judge Fred Foreman entered a conviction on the charge of mail fraud after Gittlitz pleaded guilty and told him he will not have to serve any time in jail or on probation.
Bishop also agreed to drop a charge of felony theft in exchange for Gittlitz’s plea.
If convicted of all the charges against him, Gittlitz faced a maximum of 15 years in prison.