75 Days Behind Bars for Former High School Booster Club President

Caption: Dorothy “Dee” Horky, 59, of Carol Stream. | DuPage County Sheriff

A former high school booster club president who copped a plea for theft was sentenced to 75 days in the DuPage County Jail on Monday morning, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office announced.

Dorothy “Dee” Horky, 59, of Carol Stream, stole more than $10,000 while president the Wheaton North High School Booster Club, a parent club established to financially support student extracurricular activities at the high school.

In addition to jail time, Horkey was ordered to serve two years of probation, including counseling as deemed necessary, when she is released from jail.

Authorities issued a $5,000 warrant for Horky’s arrest on March 7, 2013. Four days later, she turned herself into authorities and posted the required $500 bond.

Horky entered a blind plea of guilty to felony theft over $10,000 in front of Judge Daniel Guerin on April 24. She had been out on bond until last month, when she was taken into custody for failing to appear on her scheduled court date.

According to the charges, from May 2006 through May 2011, Horky served as president of the Wheaton North Booster Club, and was issued a WNBC American Express card with her name on it.

In November 2012, booster club officials noticed inconsistencies in their books and alerted the Wheaton Police Department. A joint investigation by Wheaton police and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office led authorities to Horky.

Horky falsely told booster club members that she had destroyed the American Express card issued to her after her term expired, according to court records. Investigators learned, however, that between July 2012 and November 2012, Horky took cash advances totaling $10,985.53 using the WNBC American Express card previously issued to her.

Prosecutors said that Horky attempted to hide the discrepancy by withdrawing $9,838.32 from a WNBC bank account to which she still had access. She transferred that money to pay for the cash advances she had taken on the WNBC American Express card.

“As president of the Wheaton North Booster Club, Dorothy Horky was entrusted with promoting extra-curricular activities for the students at Wheaton North High School,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert J. Berlin said in a written statement. “She repaid that trust by stealing more than $10,000 earmarked for the benefit of the student body.”

Horky will receive credit for the 21 days that she has already spent behind bars.