COO of suburban COVID-19 test outfit faces embezzlement charges

The former chief operating officer of a Willowbrook-based company that sold COVID-19 tests is facing federal embezzlement charges.

Dennis W. Haggerty Jr., 47, of Burr Ridge, is accused of filtering $1.8 million to his own personal bank accounts instead of to company accounts, according to a recent indictment.

In addition to misdirecting funds intended for the company to a personal bank account, Haggerty is also accused of issuing company checks to himself that he used for his personal benefit.

The embezzlement occurred while Haggerty was already embroiled in another federal fraud case that ultimately resulted in a sentence of more than four years in prison for swindling hospitals out of money intended to purchase personal protective equipment during the height of the pandemic, prosecutors said.

Haggerty’s latest charges could result in a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison if convicted.