Bank teller says theft was meant to embarrass boss

There are probably plenty of people who want to make their bosses look bad, but few likely would go to the extent police say Charles Schwartz did.

Schwartz, 20, of Glenview, worked until recently as a teller in a Highland Park bank.

An audit showed that there was some money missing from some customer accounts, and bank officials say they discovered Schwartz had been looking up customer information and withdrawing money.

Cops were called and said that Schwartz admitted what he had been doing and led them to $7,000, wrapped in the bank's sealing tape, in the glove box of his car.

And according to a handwritten statement police said Schwartz provided them, he did it all to get back at a boss he felt had been leaning on him.

"I figured at the time that my manager would feel the heat and it would put a dent in her bonus at the end of the year," the statement says.

As you might guess, the police saw it differently and decided Schwartz was the person who needed to feel the heat.

He recently pleaded not guilty to felony theft and is due in court again May 5.

Mock trial tourneyThe American Mock Trial Association hosted a regional competition for teams from 18 different colleges recently at the Lake County Courthouse.Assistant State's Attorney Ari Fisz, who helped organize the event, said participating in mock trial competitions prepare students for all manner of careers by sharpening their reasoning skills.The 24 teams from the participating colleges tried a fictional case involving the murder of a part owner of a movie production company.The students were judged by about 100 volunteer lawyers and judges from Lake County and ranked on their presentation.Teams from Northwood University in Midland, Mich., Lake Forest College, the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Notre Dame were selected to advance to the finals next month in Memphis.