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Elgin man guilty of campaign sign theft

A Rolling Meadows jury found an Elgin man guilty of stealing campaign signs during last April's municipal election.

Randall Hopp, a former Gail Borden Library trustee who lost his bid this year for a seat on the library board, was convicted Tuesday after a two-day trial.

Cook County Judge James Karahalios sentenced Hopp to 14 months of conditional discharge, similar to probation, and ordered him to work 10 days in the Cook County Sheriff's Work Alternative Program. An alternative for defendants convicted of misdemeanors or traffic offenses, SWAP allows participants to perform manual labor in lieu of jail time.

Hopp, 66, was charged with theft in April after police found stolen campaign signs promoting local politicians in his home.

"The signs were recovered, all $60 worth of them," said Karahalios, who did not impose fines or court costs on Hopp, who cares for his 87-year-old mother and lives on Social Security.

He served as a library trustee from 2009 to 2013. He was banned from the library for a time after employees complained he harassed them.

Charges dropped against former Gail Borden library trustee

Police say Gail Borden candidate stole hundreds of campaign signs

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