Residents Shocked, Disgusted Over Gliniewicz Suicide Ruling, News of Money Laundering

Photo credit: Joseph Hosey Photo Caption: The Fox Lake community shows its support for Gliniewicz in the days following his death. Many left signs and flags at the Fox Lake Police Station to honor the officer.

The community of Fox Lake could soon be divided between supporters and disparagers of ”G.I. Joe,” the veteran cop who police revealed Wednesday shot himself in a “carefully staged suicide” after he’d spent years stealing from a local youth program he ran.

Cynthia Mach of Fox Lake said Wednesday’s news could definitely divide the community where she lived and Mach, who knew Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, said she was siding with the supporters, according to the Daily Herald.

“I don’t buy it at all,” Mach said of the claim Gliniewicz ripped off the Fox Lake Explorers program. “People that knew him and knew what he did and knew what type of person he was and kind of knew about him probably would find it kind of hard to believe.”

Gary Rabine, a Fox Lake paving business owner, is among the detractors. He thought about writing a $10,000 check to a fund that offered a reward for information leading to Gliniewicz’s “killers,” Rabine told the Daily Herald.

“I thought he was always a brave man, but now he’s a coward in my opinion, to do that and put his family and the town and everybody through this,” Rabine told the newspaper.

Since Gliniewicz was found shot dead in Fox Lake on Sept. 1, police investigating the death have insisted it was a homicide. But during a press conference Wednesday, George Filenko, the commander of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, shared some shocking news: the veteran officer had in fact killed himself. He also said Gliniewicz stole from his Explorer’s post to the tune of “five figures.”

Gliniewicz, whose salary in 2015 was $96,345.60, spent the stolen money on such things as travel expenses, mortgage payments, a gym membership, adult websites and loans to his friends, Filenko said.

• Read More: GI Faux: Hero Cop Committed the ‘Ultimate Betrayal’

The news surprised many, including Leroy Marre, who lives in the same neighborhood in Antioch as the Gliniewicz family, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“What a surprise, from hero to criminal,” Marre told the newspaper.

• READ MORE: ‘From Planting Things to Volo Bog’: Gliniewicz Texts About How to Handle Village Administrator

On the day Gliniewicz was laid to rest, thousands lined streets throughout Lake County to pay their respects.

He was remembered as a “dad to about 1,000 others” in addition to his four sons because of his work with the Fox Lake Police Explorers. Young Police Explorers from several communities joined police at a processional and funeral for the Army Veteran.

His brother, Michael, a lieutenant in the Fox Lake Fire Department, spoke at the service: “When we were growing up, we all knew Joe was a hero. Now, a nation knows him as a hero. ... I love you, brother.”

• Read More: Thousands Attend Funeral for Gliniewicz

Filenko echoed the sentiments shared by many Wednesday learning of the truth behind Gliniewicz’s death: Disgust.

“There are no winners here. Gliniewicz committed the ultimate betrayal to the citizens he served and the law enforcement community,” Filenko said during Wednesday’s press conference. “He acted in years completely opposite to the image he portrayed.”

Reacting to the news Wednesday surrounding Gliniewicz, here is what some Patch Facebook followers had to say:

• “Not surprised about it being ruled a suicide. Things stopped adding up very quickly. Surprised about the theft, forgery, fraud, content of the released text messages.”
• “So sad for everyone involved. Prayers for his family, for the police department, and for all of tbe responders who put a premium on finding the “3 individuals after the call came out. Lots of healing needs to happen. Such a shame all of the way around.”
• “Time to take the black and blue ribbons down. They’ve run their course.“
• “Wow. This is unreal. What a slap in the face to all the great, honest policemen and women.”
• “I caught flak from the get go when I felt it was a suicide. My questions now are 1) Is it ethical for all the money donated to the family to be kept? Especially in light of the skimming. 2) will there be major fallout in regards to the amount of money spent on the manhunt when this was a suicide, especially since there were a ton of different DNA samples taken from the scene?”

You can read all of Patch’s coverage on the Gliniewicz shooting and investigation here.