Former Illinois purchasing director pays $440K to county

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - A former purchasing director of a northern Illinois county has paid more than $440,000 in restitution to the county less than a year after being sent to federal prison.

Sally Claassen's payments fulfill a federal judge's orders to repay Winnebago County for what she stole, the Rockford Register Star (http://bit.ly/2sWcrPJ) reported.

The Roscoe resident became the subject of an FBI investigation which found she embezzled money in 2014 and 2015. She resigned from her post in September 2015 and pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds in June 2016.

Claassen, 58, was sentenced in September to two years in Waseca Federal Correctional Institution, a minimum security federal prison located in Minnesota. Claassen is scheduled for release in July 2018. She'll also have one year of supervised release and must serve 100 hours of community service.

The county was paid in three installments, Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney said.

"The receipt of this payment is a painful reminder of a betrayal of the public trust and the need to stay committed to changing how we do business in areas that need reform," he said. "We must also stay committed to acknowledging that which is also true - there are many honest and talented Winnebago County employees, elected officials, and board members who represent the very best values of this community."

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Information from: Rockford Register Star, http://www.rrstar.com