Grayslake woman makes final payment to PTO she stole from

Lake County prosecutors dropped a motion to revoke the probation of a Grayslake woman who admitted stealing $17,000 from a school's Parent Teacher Organization after she paid the restitution in full.

Assistant State's Attorney Scott Turk dropped the petition against Elizabeth Bako, of the 300 block of Woodland Drive, after Bako paid the final $6,375 of the restitution she owed to the Frederick School PTO before court Monday. She also paid outstanding fees and court costs she had been assessed.

Bako wrote a letter of apology to the district, as she was required to do, Turk said. She also completed the required 100 hours of community service before appearing in front of Judge James Booras.

"We would like to thank Ms. Bako for acknowledging her misappropriation of funds from the students, and we are grateful she paid those funds back," said Jodi Cinq-Mars, assistant principal of Frederick School. "We look forward to utilizing this reclaimed money for the students of Frederick School."

Bako, 44, could have been resentenced to jail time or prison if her probation had been revoked.

She was sentenced to 24 months of probation Dec. 19, 2013, 100 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay restitution to the PTO after pleading guilty to stealing $17,000 while serving as treasurer of the Frederick School PTO in Grayslake from April 2011 to May 2012.

Frederick serves fifth- and sixth-graders in Grayslake Elementary District 46.

The Lake County adult probation services division claimed in December she still owed the PTO $6,375 she was supposed to pay in restitution. She was also accused of failing to pay $1,152 for probation services and $919 in court costs that were assessed as part of her plea deal.