Will County Sheriff's $100,000 Employees

JOLIET, IL - The most noteworthy murder investigation handled by the Will County Sheriff's Office last year was the April 2017 homicide of Sema'j Crosby, whose dead body was put underneath her family's couch in Joliet Township. Will County Chief Deputy Sheriff Rick Ackerson led a number of press conferences discussing the little girl's death.

As it stands, nobody was ever charged in connection with Sema'js death, which is now a cold case at the Will County Sheriff's Office. As for Ackerson, he retired in October 2017, and he also made a whopping sum of money last year: $193,282, according to the recently updated public salary database compiled by the Better Government Association.

Ackerson was the top wage earner at the Will County Sheriff's Office in 2017, according to the BGA's public salary database records.

RELATED: Ackerson Says No Murder Charges Expected In Sema'j Crosby Case This Week

The Better Government Association database notes that the Will County Sheriff's Office is the fifth most expensive law enforcement entity in the entire state of Illinois.

First is the Chicago Police Department with $1 billion in salaries and 14,000 employees. Second is the Illinois State Police at $249 million in public salaries and 3,000 employees.

Then, coming in third is the Cook County Police Department, with $54 million in salaries and 608 employees. DuPage County Sheriff's Office is fourth with $42 million in salaries and 572 positions.

Then, at No. 5, is the Will County Sheriff's Office, the BGA notes.

To do a more comprehensive search yourself of the Illinois public salary database, visit the website for Better Government Association here.

The Will County Sheriff's Office spends about $42 million in taxpayer-funded salaries and has 629 employees, according to the BGA.

Aside from Ackerson, here's a breakdown of the other Will County Sheriff's Office top-wage earners for calendar 2017:

2. Juliann Budde, sheriff's deputy, $160,566.

3. Bob Contro, undersheriff, $159,315

4. Scott Swearengen, sheriff's deputy, $149,990

5. Dale Santerelli, warden of Will County Jail, $127,711

6. Tom Budde, chief deputy traffic enforcement, $124,070

7. David Adams, deputy chief Adult Detention, $123,524

8. Stuart Taylor, deputy chief Adult Detention, $123,524

9. James Akers, sheriff's deputy, $121,408

10. Brian Conser, deputy chief Support Services, $120,491

11. Steven Talmontas, sheriff's lieutenant, $118,308

12. Joseph Boers, sheriff's lieutenant, $118,108

13. John Weiffenbach, sheriff's lieutenant, $118,108

14. Jeffrey McKenzie, sheriff's lieutenant, $117,908

15. Steven Egan, sheriff's lieutenant, $117,908

16. Edward Hayes, sheriff's lieutenant, $117,908

17. Raymond McCluskey, sheriff's deputy $117,208

18. Mike Kelley, Sheriff, $115,623

19. Mary Graham, corrections sergeant, $113,224

20. Jason Elledge, sheriff's lieutenant, $112,806

21. Mark Kedziora, sheriff's lieutenant, $112,806

22. James Holuj Jr., sheriff's lieutenant, $112,784

23. Barbara Gordon, corrections lieutenant $112,141,

24. Karen Baker, corrections lieutenant ,$112,141

25. Jeffrey Purvis, sheriff's deputy, $109,600

26. *Dan Jungles, sheriff's lieutenant, $108,493 (has since replaced the now-retired Ackerson as chief deputy of special operations and investigations.)

27. Chester Wilburn, sheriff's sergeant, $108,130

28. Nat Freeman, sheriff's lieutenant, $107,369

29. Earin Land, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

30. Steven Formenti, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

31. Suhad Taylor, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

32. Richard Laib, sheriff's sergeant, $107352

33. Joel Mantia, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

34. Joel Swanson, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

35. Brian Hickey, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

36. Brad Jerkatis, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

37. Daniel Troike, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

38. Andrew Carlson, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

39. Alvaro Tellez, sheriff's sergeant, $107,352

40. Adrienne Knazze, corrections sergeant, $106,157

41. Jacqueline Falbo, sheriff's administrator III, $104,282

42. Doreice Burse, corrections office lieutenant, $104,199

43. Kyle Lakomiak, sheriff's sergeant, $102,498

44. David Coutcher, sheriff's deputy, $100,370

Main image of now-retired chief deputy sheriff Rick Ackerson via Will County Sheriff's Office