Lake County, Army not pursuing charges against Gliniewicz son
Officials with the Lake County sheriff's office say they won't file charges against the soldier son of disgraced Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, even though there's evidence the pair exchanged text messages about money taken from a youth group fund.
U.S. Army officials also say no charges will be filed against D.J. Gliniewicz, who now serves as an Army specialist with the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Lake County sheriff's Detective Christopher Covelli said D.J. Gliniewicz, 23, of Antioch is no longer under investigation for financial crimes stemming from the embezzlement of funds from Fox Lake Law Enforcement Explorer Post 300 by his late father and that his mother is now accused of.
"Detectives investigating the case have determined through extensive research (D.J.) Gliniewicz didn't have pre-existing knowledge the monies he received were from an Explorer account," Covelli said Thursday.
Joe Gliniewicz was found dead of a gunshot wound to the chest Sept. 1. His death was later determined to be a staged homicide and the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
During the investigation, officials from the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force said Gliniewicz took his own life to cover up the embezzlement of money from the Explorer post. Officials said Joe Gliniewicz, 52, and Melodie Gliniewicz, 51, served as advisers of the post, and D.J. Gliniewicz once served as a post captain.
During a news conference in November where Joe Gliniewicz's suicide was revealed to the media, officials released text messages he had with a person they identified only as "Individual #2" discussing money from the Explorer account that was spent on truck repairs and a trip to Oklahoma. Sources later confirmed to the Daily Herald that individual #2 was D.J. Gliniewicz.
Covelli said Thursday that D.J. Gliniewicz was under investigation by the sheriff's office for financial crimes, but he would not discuss investigation details. He also did not acknowledge the person identified as individual #2 was D.J. Gliniewicz.
Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said any information found during the investigation regarding D.J. Gliniewicz was sent to federal authorities for review.
However, Fort Bragg Garrison Public Affairs Office spokesman Tom McCullom said Thursday no charges will be filed against D.J. Gliniewicz.
"There is no credible evidence that (D.J.) Gliniewicz should be charged with any violation of the law," McCullom said.
Garrett Croon, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigations in Chicago, said via email the FBI policy is to not comment on what the FBI "may or may not be investigating" until charges have been filed.
Word that no charges will be filed in Lake County against D.J. Gliniewicz comes one day after Melodie Gliniewicz was charged in Lake County with a series of financial crimes for using money earmarked for the Explorers for her personal use.
Authorities said the investigation showed Joe and Melodie Gliniewicz had used the Explorer fund to pay for personal expenses, including a trip to Hawaii, many coffee shop purchases, tickets for the Fox Lake Theatre, and more than 400 restaurant charges.
Melodie Gliniewicz faces four counts of disbursing charitable funds without authority for personal benefit or use, and two counts of money laundering. If found guilty of the most serious charges at trial, she could be sentenced to 3 to 7 years in jail. The charges also could bring probation.
She is free after posting the required 10 percent of her $50,000 bail. Her next court date is not yet known.