Woodridge officials seek help finding charged officer

Apparently, a lawman is on the lam.

The mayor and police chief of Woodridge appealed to the public Friday for help finding a veteran village patrol officer accused of stealing from a charity for families of officers killed in the line of duty.

Scott A. Webb, 39, of Romeoville, was indicted this week on felony theft charges alleging he stole from two pub-crawl fundraisers for the nonprofit organization Concerns of Police Survivors.

In a joint statement Friday, Mayor William Murphy and Police Chief Steven Herron said Webb's whereabouts remained unknown, and they asked anyone with information about his location to contact the authorities.

“It is indeed a sad day when any member of the law enforcement community is charged with crimes against organizations that aim to provide aid and comfort to families of heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” the statement read. “We are disappointed that families of fallen officers, and our community, have been victimized by alleged wrongdoing. That's why we vigorously support efforts to prosecute the former officer for his alleged crimes.”

Webb, who is being sought on a $250,000-bail arrest warrant, is accused of taking more than $30,000 in cash donations from “Crawlin' for the Fallen” fundraisers, hosted annually by the Woodridge police union for the nonprofit's national and local chapters. Village officials said the 10-year veteran was placed on paid leave last August when they launched an investigation into the alleged thefts. He resigned in March.

Representatives of the Concerns for Police Survivors said earlier this week that “Crawlin' for the Fallen” events were not spearheaded by the charity group itself, but by the Woodridge Police Association. They said the fundraisers support programs to help families cope with the loss of a police officer, including trips to the nation's capital, where their loved ones are honored.

Webb, who had helped plan the pub-crawls for several years, stole proceeds from back-to-back fundraisers in 2009 and 2010, according to a grand-jury indictment. If convicted, he faces probation or three to seven years in prison.

Village officials asked anyone with information on Webb's whereabouts to call DuPage County prosecutors at (630) 407-8000 or Woodridge police at (630) 719-4740.