Judge orders Warrenville alderman to turn in passport in theft case
An embattled Warrenville alderman was ordered Wednesday to relinquish his passport - although he can't be barred from city property - on charges he used his elected position to swindle money with failed promises of sporting event tickets and a photo opportunity with former President George W. Bush.
Alderman Christopher S. Halley was ordered held on $75,000 bail during a brief morning bond hearing in which prosecutors said he tried to flee the area Tuesday instead of turning himself in to police as promised.
Halley, 27, is charged with theft by deception and deceptive practices. It's his second arrest in recent months. In March, he was accused of writing a bad $1,500 check to a friend in fall 2009.
In the most recent case, DuPage County prosecutors said, Halley took money from acquaintances for Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bears games but never delivered the tickets or refunds. They said Halley also took $500 from a local businessman after promising a "meet and greet" with the former president.
"This defendant represents himself as a Warrenville alderman to gain credibility," said Helen Kapas Erdman, financial crimes/public integrity unit chief. "He tells them he is a real important person in the community and gains their trust. Then he schemes, scams and swindles these individuals."
Halley also is accused of writing bad checks to a local tobacco shop owners for cigars and cigarettes.
On Wednesday, DuPage Associate Judge Liam Brennan cited constitutional concerns in denying the prosecution's request to bar Halley from city property, where Kapas Erdman said he used taxpayer-owned computers to carry out some of his schemes. Brennan did, however, order Halley to turn over his passport as a condition of bail. Kapas Erdman said he failed to turn himself in Tuesday as agreed, then was nabbed while trying to flee to Rockford.
Halley repeatedly snickered Wednesday while appearing via a video hookup from the DuPage County jail. He told Brennan he could come up with $2,500 bail immediately, but would need to make some calls to raise the other $5,030 needed for his release.
After his first arrest, Halley told the Daily Herald he believed he was being "harassed" because of his plans to sue the city over his January 2009 city council ethics censure. Halley was censured for alleged ethics violations related to two incidents.
In one, he was accused of attempting to intimidate a Warrenville police officer who pulled him over on suspicion of drunken driving. A dashboard-mounted video camera showed Halley repeatedly asking the officer and a commanding officer if they "know I'm an alderman in this town," according to minutes from the January council meeting.
Police said Halley displayed his aldermanic badge when the officer approached Halley's car. Halley said he placed the badge on his lap as a means to identify himself to the officer. The city has since ceased issuing badges to aldermen.
In another instance, Halley was accused of asking Warrenville police Chief Ray Turano and the city prosecutor for help getting family and friends out of traffic tickets. Halley denied all the accusations during the censure debate.
His father, Edward Halley, is a former alderman and the only other alderman in the city's history to also be censured by his council colleagues. The elder Halley received the formal rebuke from the council in 1991 for making "misleading and incorrect" statements about local development to "further his own personal and political gain."
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<li><a href="/story/?id=401557">Warrenville alderman arrested on charges of theft - again <span class="date">[08/17/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=371795">Warrenville alderman indicted <span class="date">[04/08/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=364606">Warrenville alderman arrested on felony theft charge <span class="date">[03/09/10]</span></a></li>
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