$3.2M Stolen From Des Plaines District 62 In External Fraud Scheme

DES PLAINES, IL — Community Consolidated School District 62 says an outside criminal scheme diverted $3.2 million that the district intended to pay to a third-party vendor.

District officials discovered the unauthorized financial activity May 20 and immediately notified law enforcement, flagged the affected transactions and secured all district bank accounts, according to a statement released Thursday.

Officials stressed that investigators have found no indication of criminal wrongdoing by a District 62 employee.

Of the $3.2 million accessed through the scheme, $1.2 million has been returned to the district and another $1.2 million has been frozen and is expected to be recovered, officials said.

The district is working with the Des Plaines Police Department, the FBI, and its financial institution to recover the remaining money and prevent additional fraud.

“District 62 continues to work in close partnership with law enforcement to recover the remaining illegally accessed funds,” Superintendent Michael Amadei said in a statement.

“Based on ongoing discussions with the Des Plaines Police Department, the FBI and the district’s financial institution, we remain confident we will recover a significant portion of those funds. District 62 will provide updates when they are available.”

Police Call It An External Crime

Des Plaines Police Chief David Anderson said the investigation indicates the fraud originated outside the school district.

“We understand that the community is concerned when they hear about illegal financial activity involving the District,” Anderson said. “Based on our investigation, this is an external criminal matter.”

Anderson said the Police Department will remain involved with District 62, the FBI and the district’s bank until the investigation is completed.

“There has been a significant increase in financial scams affecting both residents and organizations nationwide, and the Des Plaines Police Department encourages everyone to remain vigilant in monitoring financial activity and to report suspicious transactions to law enforcement as soon as they are observed,” Anderson said.

District officials did not identify the vendor whose intended payment was intercepted, explain how the outside source obtained the funds or say whether any suspects have been identified.

The district also did not disclose whether insurance or other financial protections could cover money that is not recovered.

District 62 serves students in Des Plaines through its elementary and middle schools. Further updates are expected as the investigation and recovery efforts continue.