Gliniewicz wife's accounts frozen in embezzlement case
The Lake County state's attorney's office has frozen the personal and financial bank accounts of Melodie Gliniewicz, the wife of disgraced former Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz who killed himself in September amid an embezzlement scam, her lawyers said in a news release Tuesday.
Melodie Gliniewicz's lawyers also released legal documents containing several details at the heart of the ongoing financial investigation. Those details include specific amounts of money authorities believe Charles Gliniewicz took from bank accounts that involved the Fox Lake Law Enforcement Explorer Post 300 he led as an adviser.
Within the news release was the affidavit filed by Lake County investigators in seeking the order to freeze Melodie Gliniewicz's personal financial account. The document, released by the law firm of Kelleher and Buckley LLC, also contained financial information authorities used to show Charles Gliniewicz took thousands of dollars from Explorer financial accounts and spent it on coffee, restaurants, movies at the Fox Lake Theater, vacations, hormone supplements, and adult entertainment and dating websites.
In all, the affidavit shows six accounts and two credit cards frozen Nov. 6.
Documents show investigators said Charles and Melodie Gliniewicz exerted unauthorized control over funds belonging to the Fox Lake Explorers program. The accounts were seized due to a possibility of money laundering and theft, officials said.
Melodie Gliniewicz said she learned her account was frozen when she attempted to purchase gas for her vehicle Nov. 9, according to the news release, and she is now unable to pay her mortgage, doctor bills and other family expenses.
Attorneys said in the release that Melodie Gliniewicz was "dismayed" by the action and requests "all refrain from rushing to, or misplacing, judgment."
"Melodie has faith the truth will come out," the news release continues. "Melodie respectfully requests the press and public to request her family's privacy."
The lawyers have filed a request through Lake County court for a hearing to lift the restraining order over her personal bank account, saying investigators listed the wrong bank on the order and that the document fails to show probable cause that she was involved in any thefts. The date of the hearing is unknown at this time.
Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said he would not comment on the individual notations in the documents sent late Tuesday.
"This is an ongoing criminal investigation, and the evidence we have presented so far strongly supports the actions we have taken so far," Nerheim said. "Because it is in litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further."
Investigators said Charles Gliniewicz killed himself Sept. 1 to cover up thefts of funds from the Explorers. Lake County Major Crimes task force Cmdr. George Filenko said more than $250,000 was funneled through the Explorer fund, and Gliniewicz is suspected of stealing more than "five figures" from the youth program.
According to the affidavit, the main bank account was issued to the Fox Lake Explorer post and Charles Gliniewicz. In the court document, authorities said that bank account, active from September 2008 through April 2015, was used "to cover personal expenses on a consistent basis."
The affidavit shows Charles Gliniewicz made 238 coffee runs totaling $2,455, spent $8,822 on 453 restaurants visits, and went to the movie theater 98 times at a cost of $7,216. In addition, there were $29,157 worth of cash withdrawals from the account, along with 98 charges totaling $7,216 for hormonal supplements, and 66 transactions for adult entertainment and dating websites totaling $2,623, the document states.
Authorities also allege a trip to Hawaii costing $5,683 was paid for out of that account in August 2014, and that a student loan was covered at a cost of $15,234.
Charles Gliniewicz closed that main Explorer account in April, but he opened a new Explorer account and two personal accounts at different banks, authorities allege.
Officials said the new Explorer account was used to pay $6,242 to a police supply store in McHenry, and a $777 loan was issued to Charles Gliniewicz's son, Donald Gliniewicz, while various other personal loans, restaurant, Best Buy and grocery store purchases were made totaling $3,472.
In the affidavit, officials said the largest cash withdrawal from the first Explorer account was $7,000, which was deposited into the account of Melodie Gliniewicz.
"Based on the matching amounts and close timing of this cash withdrawal and subsequent deposit, it appears that the $7,000 was transferred from the Explorer ... account to the Melodie Gliniewicz account," the document reads. "The transferring of funds via cash may be indicative of an effort to conceal the activity."
The affidavit also states Melodie Gliniewicz wrote four checks out of her own personal account that were deposited into the Explorer account. The largest check of $4,275 had a notation that read, "Hawaii reimburse pd in full."
Melodie Gliniewicz's attorneys denied any wrongdoing or "money laundering" in any of those transactions.