Fired By Timbers Of Shorewood: Ex-Business Manager Learns Sentence, Restitution From Judge Amy Christiansen

JOLIET, IL — When it comes to the embezzlement of funds from a local not-for-profit or major employer in Will County, thieves often find out that their crimes do not constitute a single day of jail time. Last month, Ted Brodeur, former CEO of Big Brothers/Big Sisters was given no jail time after being ordered to repay $40,000 that he embezzled from the Joliet-based organization that helps needy children.

On Wednesday, Joliet resident Christine Brown, the former business manager at the Timbers of Shorewood along River Road, was sentenced by Will County Judge Amy Christiansen to second chance probation. Brown's sentencing order puts her on 24 months of court probation for her felony crime of theft. Brown was ordered pay court costs of $839 and restitution of $3,500 — Joliet Patch previously reported that Brown stole more than $100,000 in funds from Timbers of Shorewood.

Wednesday's sentencing order indicates Brown will perform no less than 30 hours of community service work. She was also credited with serving no jail time but does not have to serve a single day of jail time as a result of her guilty plea and sentence.

Joliet Patch has been the only major news outlet to chronicle Brown's criminal charges at the Will County Courthouse.

On Feb. 12, Patch reported that after dragging out her embezzlement case at the Will County Courthouse for the past three years, Brown, the ex-business manager of The Timbers of Shorewood, had decided to plead guilty to one crime of felony theft. March 11 was set for a hearing on her restitution and sentencing by Will County Judge Amy Christiansen.

In May 2023, Brown was indicted by a Will County grand jury on two felony crimes of theft from the Shorewood assisted living facility located at 1100 River Road. Count 1 stated that Brown obtained or exerted unauthorized control over Timber of Shorewood's payroll proceeds, and the value exceeded $100,000 but did not exceed $500,000.

Back in 2023, Shorewood's Deputy Police Chief Jason Barten was asked by Joliet Patch about how much money the Shorewood Police Department determined was taken by Brown during her time as the business manager of Timber of Shorewood. "It was in excess of $100,000 but considerably less than $500,000," he answered.

Count one was dismissed under Brown's January plea bargain with the Will County State's Attorney's Office. She pleaded guilty to count two, which stated that Brown's theft exceeded $10,000 but did not exceed $100,000. The crime happened between April 30, 2021 and Aug. 19, 2022.

In May of 2023, Kevin Young, executive director at Timbers of Shorewood, told Joliet Patch's editor that Timbers of Shorewood discovered financial discrepancies in its monthly payroll budgets for a couple of departments.

Young said the financial irregularities were discovered around August 2022. A resident of Crest Hill at the time, Brown had worked at Timbers of Shorewood for about seven years as the business office manager

"She was let go when we uncovered it," Young remarked.