Former Lake County jail chief's forgery conviction overturned

A state appeals court has reversed former Lake County jail director Charles DeFilippo's 2007 forgery conviction.

In a newly released decision, the 2nd District appeals court ruled there was insufficient evidence DeFilippo committed forgery. He was accused of falsifying documents prosecutors said would have increased his pension.

DeFilippo's attorney for the appeal, Scott Frankel, said he and his client are "ecstatic" about the appellate court's ruling.

"He feels a great sense of relief that the conviction has been reversed," Frankel said of DeFilippo, who now lives in Florida. "The process of fighting this case has been long, painful and stressful for him and his family. ... He is looking forward to moving on with his life with his good name returned to him."

The jury that convicted DeFilippo of forgery acquitted him of conspiracy and attempted theft charges. DeFilippo was sentenced in 2007 to two years' probation and 200 hours of public service.

DeFilippo's predecessor as jail director, Lawrence Lesza, was found not guilty on all charges in the same case.

Frankel said the now-reversed forgery charge, which was part of a 2005 indictment, stemmed from two slightly different versions of the same memo DeFilippo wrote concerning when he was deputized and began earning credit for his pension.

In its ruling, dated Dec. 12, the three-member appellate court unanimously agreed the missing words did not constitute forgery.

"It wasn't material to any kind of fraud," Frankel said.

The Illinois attorney general's office prosecuted the cases against DeFilippo and Lesza. A spokesman could not be reached for comment.

Frankel is investigating whether the appellate court's ruling makes DeFilippo eligible for his pension, which he lost when he was convicted.