Lincoln-Way Secretary Embezzled $30K From Athletic Boosters: Cops

NEW LENOX, IL — A Manhattan woman has been charged with 11 counts of financial crimes stemming from an investigation in August at Lincoln-Way District 210. Melissa McGrath, 51, who worked as a secretary for the Athletic Department at Lincoln-Way Central, has been charged with five counts of theft, two counts of theft by deception, two counts of identification theft and two counts of forgery.

The Will County Sheriff's Office said they issued a warrant for McGrath's arrest Friday. On Aug. 6, detectives were called to Lincoln-Way Central High School, 1801 E. Lincoln Highway, and spoke with administrators about suspicious financial transgressions found on the accounting books of the Lincoln-Way Athletic Boosters Club.

According to police, Lincoln-Way administration said they had conducted an internal investigation and believed McGrath was running two sets of financial books in order to fraudulently take money from the club.

Detectives started their own investigation and found over $30,000 in Booster funds missing from August 2017 through April 2019. Police found that McGrath had created her own Booster account spreadsheet that she would present to the Athletic Boosters and a second official accounting report she would submit to the school district.

Police also found several submitted reports contained forged signatures of Athletic Club board members.

McGrath was taken in custody Friday afternoon at her home. She was booked into the Will County Adult Detention Facility and is being held on $200,000 bond.