Former Elgin Police Officer Sentenced for Stealing from Explorer Program

The former leader of the Elgin Police Explorer Post has pleaded guilty to stealing money from the program for over 2.5 years, prosecutors said Thursday. 

James E. Rog, 36, of Elgin, on Thursday agreed to a sentence of conditional discharge, as well as to pay restitution and receive treatment for gambling addiction in exchange for a guilty plea to theft, a Class A misdemeanor. Rog presented a bank check in the amount of $6,063.78 made out to the city of Elgin at the hearing, according to a Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office press release. 

Kane County prosecutors presented evidence that between July 2012 and November 2015, Rog, who at the time was the civilian animal control officer for the Elgin Police Department and also oversaw the department’s police explorer post, stole more than $6,000 from the post. The money was accumulated from membership dues and fund-raising efforts and was to be used for post-related functions, according to a news release. 

Rog had established an unauthorized bank account with a debit card for the post, and was the only person with access to the card. Rog would withdraw cash from the account using the debit card and use the money to purchase lottery scratch-off tickets, according to the news release. 

As part of the sentence, Rog must obtain a gambling addiction evaluation within 45 days and comply with all recommendations. He must return to court on July 21, and present proof of the evaluation. Rog has no other criminal history, prosecutors said. 

“Mr. Rog betrayed the public trust by his actions. The Elgin Police Department must be commended for its actions throughout this process," Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said. "Almost immediately upon the discovery of the financial irregularities Police Chief Jeff Swoboda and his staff were in contact with us. Their professionalism and transparency throughout this process have gone far to preserve the department’s integrity and fine reputation. We appreciate their full cooperation."

The Elgin Police Department first began to look at its Explorer program following the death of Fox Lake Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz who staged his own death and made it look like a murder on Sept. 1, according to the Elgin Courier-News. Gliniewicz shot himself as officials began to unravel  an embezzlement scheme involving the veteran Fox Lake cop who stole tens of thousands of dollars from the Explorer program.