Theft, misconduct charges dismissed against former Aurora contractor

Citing a lack of evidence, Kane County prosecutors on Friday dismissed felony theft and misconduct charges against a former Aurora contractor accused of submitting some $14,000 in fraudulent invoices for lawn mowing and snow removal under a city assistance program from 2009 through 2012.

Maria Campos, 55, of the 900 block of Fulton Street, Aurora, was charged in July 2014 with 30 felonies, the most serious of which was theft over $10,000, which carried a punishment ranging from probation to up to seven years in prison, according to Kane County court records.

Prosecutors said the charges were the result of an investigation that began in 2012 into allegations of financial discrepancies in a senior assistance program. As the case progressed, evidence showed Campos was not as culpable as first thought, authorities said.

Campos had been free on bond while her case was pending. Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon moved to dismiss the charges, a request granted by Kane County Judge Clint Hull.

"First and foremost, we are obligated to seek justice," McMahon said in a media release. "As part of that obligation, we work with police to keep investigations active after the filing of charges to assure that we have all relevant facts. As we continued to review this case and apply the law to all of the facts, it became clear that we cannot in good faith proceed with this prosecution. The just decision in this case is to dismiss the charges against Ms. Campos."