After Stealing Thousands From Joliet Park District, Ex-Finance Director Matt Pehle Pleads Guilty

JOLIET, IL — Three years after a Will County grand jury returned a criminal indictment of eight felonies against former Joliet Park District finance director Matt Pehle, the ex-public official worked out a plea bargain with the prosecutors and received a lenient sentence under the arrangement.

On Thursday morning, Pehle returned to the Will County Courthouse along with his lawyer Neil Patel. His guilty plea and sentencing were handled by Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius. All of Pehle's eight felony charges were dismissed. Pehle entered a guilty plea to one misdemeanor theft. He does not have serve any jail time under the sentencing terms.

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The Joliet resident was given 24 months of conditional discharge and was ordered to repay the full restitution.

Patel told Joliet Patch that his client was ordered to repay $42,102, "and he paid that today." Besides Patel, downtown Joliet attorney Todd Polito represented Pehle in his embezzlement case over the years.

"Today represents the conclusion of a very long ordeal in Mr. Pehle's life," Patel remarked. "This case was investigated for some time, and charges were not filed until 2023. This is a fair way to resolve this case, and Mr. Pehle and his family are glad to move on with their lives."

Back in May of 2023 —nearly two-and-a-half years after the Joliet Police Department launched an embezzlement investigation at the Joliet Park District — Pehle was indicted by a grand jury on eight felony charges of continuing financial crimes enterprises.

Pehle was hired by the Joliet Park District on March 27, 2013, as its chief financial officer by then-executive director Dominic Egizio Jr. Pehle oversaw the Joliet Park District's finances from April 2013 until he left in December 2019.

In January 2020, Pehle became the chief financial officer for the Will County Forest Preserve District. At that time, Pehle replaced John Gerl after Gerl retired from the forest preserve. Pehle's employment at the forest preserve district ended several months after news of the criminal investigation involving the park district surfaced in the press.

The 2023 indictment stated that Pehle exerted unauthorized control over the Joliet Park District's finances and that on Oct. 21, 2016, he purchased Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) tickets for $463.55 using a park district credit card. The complaint also alleges that on Dec. 6, 2017, he purchased "Hamilton tickets" for $332.48, and on April 8, 2017, he made an MLS All-Star game purchase for $436.87, "and said purchases were made on a Joliet Park District credit card."

Other criminal charges stated that Pehle purchased Chicago Cubs tickets for $514.72 on Feb. 22, 2017. The same day, the complaint alleges Pehle purchased more Chicago Cubs tickets for $432.32, while on July 19, 2017, Pehle made a Milwaukee Brewers purchase for $215, with all purchases also made on a Joliet Park District credit card.

The complaint noted that Pehle used a Joliet Park District credit card for the unauthorized purchases involving Chicago Symphony tickets on July 21, 2017; a Buddy Guy purchase for $119.06 on Jan. 2, 2018; and another Buddy Guy purchase on Jan. 3, 2018, for $140.16.

The indictment's last four criminal charges stated that Pehle used the park district credit card for more unauthorized purchases on June 6, 2018, for a $601.84 "Star Wars" purchase; a Six Flags Great America purchase of $331.85 on Aug. 1, 2018; more Chicago Cubs tickets costing $383.75 on Feb. 20, 2019, "and purchases were made on a Joliet Park District credit card."

Additionally, Pehle improperly used the Joliet Park District credit card on Sept. 30, 2018, for a Drury Lane Theater purchase of $232.15; on Nov. 17, 2018, for a Seattle Mariners purchase for $179.83; and a Jan. 18, 2019, purchase of $101.56 for Avett Brothers, which is a folk rock band, according to court records.

According to his last two original charges, Pehle was accused of misusing the Joliet Park District credit card for a March 5, 2018, Chicago Symphony purchase of $697, plus another "Star Wars" purchase costing $601.84 on June 6, 2018; and an Airbnb purchase costing $646.31 on Aug. 16, 2019.

The last charge accused Pehle of misusing park district funds in 2019, his final year of employment with the park district, for a Bob Dylan purchase costing $282.08 on Oct. 30, 2019, and a Beer Temple purchase costing $132.30 on Nov. 13, 2019. The following month, Pehle submitted his resignation to leave the Joliet Park District.

In May 2023, the former Joliet Park District financial director surrendered himself to the Joliet Police Department, and he brought enough money along — $10,000 cash— to avoid being booked into the Will County Jail and becoming a prisoner there while awaiting trial.

Pehle's charges happened in 2023, the last year of Illinois' now-abolished cash bail-bond system.

At that time, Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English issued a press release surrounding the investigation that lasted nearly two-and-a-half years before criminal charges resulted.

Joliet Patch first wrote about the embezzlement investigation at the Joliet Park District involving Pehle as the prime suspect, back in January 2021. Pehle had been one of the top paid employees during his tenure at the Joliet Park District, making more than $100,000 annually in base salary.

According to Sgt. English:

• Back on Jan. 12, 2021, officers responded to the Joliet Park District at 3000 West Jefferson Street for a report of theft. Joliet Park District officials reported that between April of 2013 and December of 2019, authorities believed that Pehle had executed multiple unauthorized purchases using a Joliet Park District credit card that were not related to park district business.
• The purchases were made while Pehle was director of finance for the Joliet Park District.
• "An extensive investigation of this case was initiated by the Joliet Police Department Investigations Division, resulting in a bill indictment of Pehle on May 3, by a Will County Grand Jury."