Downers Grove woman gets jail for stealing from youth league

A Downers Grove woman who stole $88,000 from a youth football league and spent some of the money on a birthday party and an engraved iPod for her daughter was sentenced Thursday to probation and jail.

Theresa Carlquist, 52, also was ordered to pay full restitution to the nonprofit Panther Junior Football Association after pleading guilty to theft over $10,000 stemming from her time as league treasurer.

Assistant DuPage County State’s Attorney Helen Kapas said Carlquist used money raised by parents and children to pay her own utility bills and other expenses that were “clearly personal.” She said Carlquist also wrote checks to herself, using some of the pilfered funds to throw a pizza party for her daughter’s birthday and for the personalized iPod.

Carlquist pleaded guilty Thursday in exchange for 180 days of periodic imprisonment in the county jail and three years of felony probation. She must report to jail Oct. 3 under the deal approved by Judge Daniel Guerin, who chastised her for essentially stealing from youngsters.

“Your selfish conduct adversely affected hundreds of kids,” the judge told Carlquist. “I suppose you’ve done what you can to pay the money back and admit it. But it’s a serious violation.”

Steve Lowery, the league’s president, said officials became suspicious after noticing a number of irregular transactions between February 2008 and December 2009. The all-volunteer group went to Downers Grove police after Carlquist repeatedly put off questions about unpaid bills and missing funds in the association’s bank account.

Kapas said Carlquist eventually confessed she “screwed up in a major way,” telling a former league president that a business she owned was failing and headed toward bankruptcy. “When times got desperate, I stole money from the league,” Carlquist said in an email, read by Kapas.

Lowery said the thefts nearly put the league under. Since then, the association has instituted new policies to prevent it from happening again.

“This put us in quite a predicament,” he said Thursday. “The program was close to failure based on what happened to us.” Lowery said the league, now in it’s 47th season, has since recovered and today serves 550 children in Downers Grove and surrounding communities, including Oak Brook, Lisle and Woodridge. He said the program is open to football players and cheerleaders in kindergarten through 8th grade.

Defense attorney Jim Ryan said the thefts were “certainly not consistent with (Carlquist’s) character.” He told the judge she now works freelance as a photographer for hospitals across the area.

Carlquist, who had no prior criminal record, paid full restitution before she left court with her husband Thursday, authorities said.

“I’m just glad it’s resolved,” she said, declining further comment.

Carlquist is barred from having any future contact with the football league or attending any of its events.