Bartlett man accused of stealing $75,000 from Geneva attorney

A 38-year-old Bartlett man has been charged with stealing $75,000 from a Geneva attorney whom he worked for as a personal assistant.

Franco Morrone, of the 1200 block of Rose Court, faces felony charges of identity theft of $10,000 to $100,000, as well as theft of up to $100,000, according to Kane County court records.

Morrone is accused of using information from his former boss to gain access to a bank account from February 2016 to March 2017 to buy coins, jewelry and fine watches, according to court records and Geneva police.

The attorney became suspicious in January after he inquired about online features for his account and the bank responded online access had already been set up, according to police.

The Geneva man reviewed his bank statements and determined $75,000 had been stolen via recurring monthly payments made to Morrone's account.

Morrone also is accused of taking money via ATM withdrawals and opening a debit card in the attorney's name, the report said.

Morrone was arrested last weekend and was being held at the Kane County jail on $100,000 bail.

If Morrone posts bond, prosecutors have filed a court motion requiring him to prove bond funds come from legitimate sources.

"Many of these items are unaccounted for and it's against the idea of justice that the defendant should be able to use those funds to secure his release," Kane County prosecutors wrote.

If convicted of the most severe charge, Morrone faces a punishment ranging from four to 15 years in prison. Probation also is an option.

He is scheduled to be in court Thursday.