Ex-Superintendent's Status Hearing Set For September

NEW LENOX, IL — Former Lincoln-Way District 210 Superintendent Lawrence Wyllie's federal fraud trial has been delayed yet again, this time due to the coronavirus. Wyllie was indicted in 2017 on five counts of wire fraud and a single count of embezzlement, and his trial was supposed to start in November 2018, but the trial has been delayed several times.

Patch most recently published an update on the case in January, when a status hearing was set for March 17. The case was delayed for a few months due to the coronavirus, but according to court records, a status hearing is now set for Sept. 8.

Patch reported in 2018 that Wyllie's medical records were filed in court under seal. At that time, lawyers for both sides agreed that Wyllie's health wouldn't allow him to prepare for an upcoming jury trial. The case has since been delayed for nearly three years.

Wyllie is accused of misusing school district bond money to finance his personal projects, according to court records. Prosecutors said that included spending $50,000 on Superdog, a dog-training school. The federal indictment also accuses Wyllie of concealing the district's "true financial health" while he was superintendent.

While under his leadership, the district generated at least $7 million in additional debt, according to the complaint. In 2015, Lincoln-Way landed on the state's financial watch list, which led to the closing of Lincoln-Way North High School in June 2016.

If convicted, Wyllie could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count. The embezzlement charge carries a maximum 10-year sentence if convicted.