Chicago —(ENEWSPF)–March 18, 2016. Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced that a former Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) caseworker was arraigned on charges of theft, aggravated ID theft and official misconduct for allegedly stealing a reissued LINK card from a DHS client.
Gwendolyn Ross, 63, of Rockford, surrendered herself to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office on March 11. Ross was charged by indictment with one count of theft of government monies and one count of aggravated identity theft, both Class 2 felonies, and one count of official misconduct, a Class 3 felony. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison.
Madigan alleged that Ross, a former IDHS caseworker at the Winnebago County Family Community Resource Centre (FCRC), stole a reissued LINK card from a DHS client while it was being processed by the Rockford DHS office. Within hours of obtaining the card, she was observed on store security footage using the card to make purchases.
“The defendant knowingly cheated a client of vital resources and abused her authority and trust,” Madigan said. “She will be held accountable.”
Bond was set at $5,000. Her next court appearance is April 4 in front of Judge John R. Truitt.
Assistant Attorney General Kilby Macfadden and Associate Director James S. Dorger are handling the case for Madigan’s Public Integrity Bureau. The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Office of the Executive Inspector General.
Source: http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
