Joliet Crook Ted Brodeur Books 2 Vacations To Fort Myers, Mexico After Big Brothers/Big Sisters Scandal

JOLIET, IL — Not only did Will County Judge John Connor sentence Ted Brodeur to no jail or prison time and no community service hours, but the former Big Brothers/Big Sisters CEO who stole tens of thousands from the organization was also granted the judge's permission to go on two weeklong resort-style vacations this summer.

Joliet Patch's editor uncovered the travel documents after reviewing the terms of Brodeur's recent guilty plea and sentencing at the Will County Courthouse, revealing details of the judge's travel order during Friday morning's live broadcast of Scott Slocum's WJOL AM-1340 radio show, "Slocum in the Morning."

Back on Feb. 10, Brodeur was represented by downtown Joliet attorney Kristin Honiotes of Honiotes Law. According to the sentencing order, signed by Connor, the 60-year-old Brodeur pleaded guilty to felony theft and received a term of probation for 24 months.

The sentencing document indicates Brodeur must refrain from possessing any guns or dangerous weapons, and he shall permit the Will County Adult Probation Officer to visit his home or elsewhere to the extent necessary to discharge their duties. The sentencing order explains that Brodeur will pay court costs of $654, a probation fee of $1,200 and restitution of $40,000.

The document noted that Brodeur's prepayment of $20,000 at the time of his Feb. 10 guilty plea and sentencing left him with a remaining balance of $21,854.

As for the restitution, the $40,000 payment will go back toward Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Will County in Joliet, Judge Connor wrote.

The sentencing document indicated that Brodeur will be credited with serving no days in the Will County Jail. The judge also left blank the box on the sentencing form for community service. Judge Connor ordered Brodeur to perform zero hours of community service as part of his sentence.

"Defendant shall pay the circuit court of this county $41,854," Judge Connor's final order reads.

By being placed on court probation for 24 months, Brodeur has another two years to repay the remaining $20,000 in restitution back to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a longtime not-for-profit organization that helps needy and disadvantaged children across Will and Grundy Counties, from which he stole tens of thousands to use for his gambling problem. Brodeur often played the video gaming machines at the Double J Sports Bar on Joliet's Essington Road.

At Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Brodeur served as chief executive officer starting in the summer of 2019 after he retired as director of revenue and recreation facilities at the Joliet Park District, where he worked for 30 years. Brodeur told Will County Sheriff's detectives that in addition to his Big Brothers/Big Sisters CEO salary and the money he stole from the organization, Brodeur began receiving his government pension from the Joliet Park District starting in January 2021.

But rather than make the full restitution payment now, Brodeur received permission from Connor to leave the state of Illinois while under probation in order to go on two resort vacations this summer, first to Fort Myers, Florida, from May 30 through June 6, and again on July 22 through July 28, to Riviera Maya, Mexico.

Connor signed off on Brodeur's vacation travels to Florida and Mexico, according to the court order furnished by Honiotes to the judge at the Feb. 10 sentencing.

During the September 2024 interview with two Will County Sheriff's detectives at his home in Shorewood's Hidden Creek Estates subdivision off Seil Road, Detective Hilary Lithgow wanted to know how much money Brodeur stole from Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

"The undersigned asked Ted if he ever sat down and thought about an estimate as to how much he has taken from Big Brothers Big Sisters," she wrote. "Ted advised his wife asks him all the time. Ted advised, 'It was $10,000, $15,000, I don't think it was $100,000 or $50,000. I don't think it was anywhere near that, but honestly, I don't know.'"

The pair of sheriff's detectives inquired about the Edward Jones investment account for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

"Ted advised anytime they needed cash to operate, they would withdraw money from that account. Ted advised he would call or email Edward Jones to draw money so bills could be paid. Ted advised he and ... had access to the Edward Jones account."

Incidentally, before this month's sentencing of Brodeur to no jail or prison time, the last major financial embezzlement scheme in the Joliet area involved Ronald Molo, the Shorewood resident who worked as a licensed financial broker at the Joliet Edward Jones Offices near Essington and Fiday Roads.

In May 2023, Joliet Patch reported that long-time U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman in Chicago imposed a sentence on the lighter side for Molo, who stole about $800,000 from three of his elderly clients.

Two months earlier, federal prosecutors announced that they were seeking a prison sentence for Molo in the range of 41 months to 51 months for Molo's wire fraud crime. In the end, Judge Gettleman imposed the sentence of two years and gave Molo until 2 p.m. Aug. 15, 2023, to surrender himself to the United States Marshals to begin serving his sentence in Wisconsin.

In his early 60s, Molo had lived in one of Shorewood's most luxurious neighborhoods, Lake Forrest Estates, and his house was on South Majestic Pine.

Federal prosecutors informed the judge that "Molo is a college-educated, experienced financial advisor, having worked for a reputable investment firm, Edward Jones, for about twenty years. Prior to his criminal offense, Molo was registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority as a broker and investment adviser, though he has since been barred.

"Now 63 years old, Molo was in his late 50s/early 60s at the time of the offense. It is not obvious why Molo began stealing from clients this late in his career. This should have been a time when Molo was enjoying his peak earning potential. For an experienced, licensed white-collar professional such as Molo, there was no reason to steal from clients."

After Molo pleaded guilty to the federal crime of wire fraud, Molo's five other charges got dismissed at his sentencing. Molo served his two-term prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Oxford, Wisconsin, managed by the Bureau of Prisons. It's deemed a medium security institution with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp.