Will County Gazette

The Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) say they found evidence of former Lincoln-Way Superintendent Lawrence Wyllie’s alleged fraud nearly 18 months before he was indicted on Sept. 13, 2017.

“If you read our articles … we point to the school board for not doing their job," the ECW's Kirk Allen told the Will County Gazette. "If we can find it, then the school board should’ve been able to find it."

Wyllie faces a six-count federal indictment accusing him of fraud and embezzlement.

Lawrence Wyllie | http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2017/09/former-lincoln-way-superintendent-lawrence-wyllie-indicted-by-federal-grand-jury/

Allen said has also worked on a story that dealt with exposing a director of mass transit's theft five years ago, but he did not face charges or indictments until last month.

“So, 18 months for Wyllie, that doesn’t surprise me,” he said.

Even though the ECW has published more than 15 investigative articles on Wyllie’s actions as a Lincoln-Way superintendent, Allen gives all the credit for the recent charges brought against the former school leader to local citizens.

“Had it not been for them (local citizens), none of this would’ve happened,” he said. “The citizens had some particular issues and problems, and we exposed that. But we expanded on our investigation and found all kinds of illegal activity.”

As far as the school district's reputation goes, Allen believes that it will recover, especially if it is under new management.

“I’m not sure if it’s going to hurt the school’s reputation; the citizens are being proven right., he said. "They warned that there were problems and no one did anything about them. I think they need to replace the whole entire board because you still have people that were part of that process and they don’t need to be school members. They’ve proven that they can’t do their job."

District 210 released this statement on its website regarding the recent charges:

“…District 210 officials have cooperated with requests by the federal authorities throughout this investigation. Parents and taxpayers should be assured that the Board of Education is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars. In July of 2016, the district hired a new director of finance. The director oversees day-to-day accounting operations and transactions. In June of 2017, the board approved the hiring of an experienced business manager to oversee all financial operations and budgeting services."

“This board is committed to continued oversight and assessment of district policies and procedures," Joseph Kirkeeng, president of the District 210 Board of Education, said in a statement. "The board will continue to work with the administration to move this district forward.”

According to court documents released by the Chicago Tribune, Wyllie had the authority to direct the use of school district funds only for legitimate purposes, but he is accused of using them for personal gain.

Federal prosecutors allege that the 79-year-old misused millions of dollars in bond money, including building a dog-training school, SuperDog, that had no educational benefits for students.

Wyllie spearheaded the growth of Lincoln-Way from one New Lenox school into four schools serving students from New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, Manhattan and Tinley Park, following an overcrowding issue.

Although educators credit Wyllie as a great financial leader for the school district, others argue that he gained that recognition by hiding the “true financial health” of the district.

Wyllie retired in 2013 and is accused of taking more than $30,000 in unused vacation days and a retirement bonus that was not part of his contract.

The former superintendent has denied the charges, saying that all the bond money referenced in the indictment was spent on school-related matters, according to a statement from his attorneys, Dan Webb and Bob Trevarthen.

Wyllie could face more than 30 years in prison if convicted.