Former Warrenville official faces felony charges again

A former Warrenville alderman who left office as a felon last year is facing a new round of charges that allege he stole a friend’s watch and scammed two men planning charity poker events out of more than $6,000, authorities said Monday.

Christopher Halley, 28, was being sought on arrest warrants for theft and deceptive practices.

Halley resigned from the city council in October 2010 after pleading guilty to charges stemming from multiple scams that defrauded acquaintances out of more than $3,000.

He is now accused of stealing a men’s Movado watch from a friend’s home near West Chicago, and accepting $5,500 from a business that put on charity poker events. He reneged on delivering tables, chips, chairs and other supplies, according to court records.

One of the victims named in the complaints, a Downers Grove man who asked not to be identified, said Halley told him in July he could get a discount on poker supplies through a relative. He said the materials were to be used for his fledgling business, which facilitated poker events to raise money for charities across the region.

“We gave him the money up front,” he said. “(Halley) said it would take 7-10 days, which turned into two weeks, which turned into a month, which turned into him not giving us our money back. It was a scam from the start.”

The Downers Grove man said his business partner, a Naperville man, also gave Halley money for airline tickets and Chicago Blackhawks tickets that were never delivered.

He said Halley later provided a $5,500 check as reimbursement for the poker supplies, but the check was no good.

In August, Halley was also accused of stealing a watch worth more than $500 from a friend’s home. Although the watch later turned up in the friend’s mailbox, authorities said they found record of Halley pawning it in Naperville.

Halley, who lives in Warrenville and was elected in 2007, resigned from the city council and served jail time last year as part of a plea agreement that also left him a felon.

In the earlier cases, prosecutors said, he often used his position as an alderman to persuade victims to hand over money.

One victim told investigators Halley promised she would receive Chicago Bears tickets because he held elected office, prosecutors said. Others were offered tickets to an event with former President George W. Bush, the 2010 Blackhawks championships, and a luxury suite at Bears games.

Halley, who is still on probation for his earlier cases, could not be reached for comment Monday.

Authorities said he could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge in the new case. His bail has been set at $200,000.