Woman charged with embezzling from Dist. 203 school
The former treasurer of a Naperville Unit District 203 nonprofit group is facing criminal charges after being accused of lining her own pockets with $8,500 raised during an elementary school's fundraising events.
Lisa S. Landin, 39, will make her first court appearance Monday when she is arraigned on a four-count indictment alleging felony forgery and theft charges. She remains free on a $75,000 bond after her arrest in late December.
Landin served as treasurer of the fund-raising arm for Scott Elementary School in southeast Naperville.
She was responsible for depositing proceeds from the home and association-sponsored fundraisers. But prosecutor Helen Kapas-Erdman, head of the financial crimes/public integrity unit, presented evidence to a grand jury Tuesday alleging Landin instead stole that money during several transactions last school year.
Landin is accused of altering deposit slips to reflect only the checks the association received while keeping the cash for herself. Prosecutors said she altered the association's general ledger to hide the thefts.
An internal audit uncovered the discrepancies.
"If these allegations are proven true, she took advantage of the trust placed in her and, in doing so, caused significant hardship for the organization in its fundraising efforts," DuPage State's Attorney Joseph Birkett said.
A phone message left with Scott Principal Nick Micensky was not returned Wednesday, but District 203 officials released a statement to parents stating tighter accounting procedures are under way as a result of the thefts. No tax dollars were stolen, the statement said, and an annual audit is performed.
"Please note that no other current or past officers of this organization are involved," said Superintendent Alan E. Leis in the district statement. "(The association) will continue to serve its students and families through the good work it performs; there is every reason to proceed with confidence in the organization and its officers."
Landin, of the 200 block of East Bailey Road in Naperville, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.