Former Grayslake PTO treasurer could face prison time
Lake County prosecutors are seeking to revoke the probation of a Grayslake woman who admitted stealing $17,000 from a school's Parent Teacher Organization.
Lake County state's attorney's office spokeswoman Cynthia Vargas said Tuesday a hearing is scheduled Jan. 25 on the petition to revoke the probation of Elizabeth Bako, of the 300 block of Woodland Drive. Both sides appeared in court Monday.
Bako, 44, could be resentenced to jail time or prison if her probation is revoked through a civil proceeding. Court documents show she's accused of not fulfilling the terms of her probation by failing to pay fees and restitution.
She was sentenced to 24 months of probation Dec. 19, 2013, after pleading guilty to stealing $17,000 while treasurer of the Frederick School PTO in Grayslake between April 2011 to May 2012. Frederick serves fifth- and sixth-graders in Grayslake Elementary District 46.
Documents filed by Lake County adult probation services division officials claim she still owes $6,375 of the $17,000 she was supposed to pay in restitution. She's also accused of failing to pay $1,152 for probation services and $919 in court costs that were assessed as part of her 2013 plea deal.
Had Bako been found guilty of felony theft at trial, she would have faced a maximum of five years behind bars.
When prosecutors file a petition to have probation revoked, a judge is asked to resentence the defendant. If the defendant denies the accusation and the petition proceeds, prosecutors must prove their case through a preponderance of evidence - a lower threshold than beyond a reasonable doubt in a criminal trial.