Wife of disgraced Fox Lake cop faces additional charge
A Lake County grand jury approved a new charge Wednesday against Melodie Gliniewicz, adding to the allegations connected to her late husband's embezzlement of funds from a Fox Lake youth group.
The conspiracy charge against Gliniewicz, 51, of Antioch, is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said.
However, because it is the least of the charges filed against her, it is not expected to add to any prison time should she be found guilty at trial.
“It's relatively common for us to re-evaluate a case as it proceeds and file additional charges when necessary,” Nerheim said. “We did not drop any charges. We just added this conspiracy charge.”
Defense attorney Donald Morrison was not available for comment.
Gliniewicz remains free on bond from Lake County jail after posting the required 10 percent of her $50,000 bail. She is due in court April 6.
The conspiracy charge alleges she entered into and acted on an agreement with her late husband, Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, to take money from Fox Lake Law Enforcement Explorer Post 300. It coincides with three previous charges of disbursing charitable funds without authority for personal benefit or use, authorities said.
Melodie Gliniewicz previously pleaded not guilty in court to those charges and two counts of money laundering. Her trial is set for June 27.
A fourth count of disbursing charitable funds without authority for personal benefit was dismissed during a previous hearing.
The charges stem from an investigation that began in November into the finances surrounding the Explorer post. That inquiry followed the death of Joe Gliniewicz, who authorities said staged his suicide as a murder in September because he feared his own thefts from the Explorer post were about to be uncovered.
Lake County Major Crime Task Force investigators found inconsistencies in financial documents involving Joe Gliniewicz while investigating his death. The Explorers fund was used to pay for a trip to Hawaii, many coffee shop purchases, tickets for the Fox Lake Theatre, and more than 400 restaurant charges, authorities have said.