Employee Used School District Credit Card To Buy $37K In Power Tools: Arlington Heights PD

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — An employee of Township High School District 214 has been charged with a felony for reportedly making at least $37,000 in repeated unauthorized purchases at various Home Depot locations with the school district credit card. Jorge V. Villagomez, 42, of the 1700 block of Locust Place, Schaumburg, is accused of theft of government property and was arrested Wednesday, according to Arlington Heights police.

In August, police received a report from the district regarding the misuse of a school district credit card by Villagomez, who was the building and grounds supervisor for Prospect High School. While conducting an internal audit of district expenditures, the district found repeated unauthorized purchases at various Home Depot stores throughout the Chicagoland area, beginning around January of this year. These purchases, according to police, were primarily of power tools and were conducted in increments ranging from $250 to over $2,000, totaling a loss for the district in the excess of $37,000.

During the subsequent investigation, Arlington Heights detectives reviewed financial records of the purchases and identified Villagomez as the person making them. They reviewed financial records, purchase receipts, and surveillance video related to the purchases. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved the felony charge.

Villagomez, who was released following his arrest, is due back in court on Friday.