Sheriff Candidate Vows to End 'Sweetheart Deal' Between Lawyer Brother-in-Law of Deputy Chief

By Joseph Hosey

A Will County sergeant running for sheriff accused the current sheriff of a “staggering breach of integrity” for sending millions of dollars over the years to the attorney brother-in-law of his cousin.

The cousin of Sheriff Paul Kaupas, Ken Kaupas, is a high-ranking deputy chief with the department. He is also running for sheriff in the November election. Paul Kaupas is not seeking re-election and is supporting his cousin.

Ken Kaupas’ brother-in-law, Joliet attorney Randal Miller, has assisted in auctioning foreclosed properties for the sheriff’s department since 1987.

“Miller currently receives a fee of $125 per foreclosure and $100 for each canceled sale,” according to a statement released by Will County Detective Sgt. Mike Kelley, who works under Ken Kaupas and is running against him for sheriff.

“Miller collected nearly $1.4 million in revenue from foreclosure sales between 2008 and 2012 alone, according to a recent Sheriff’s Department report,” the statement said.

Kelley said he has already hatched plans with Will County officials, including State’s Attorney James Glasgow, to ditch Miller and have the sheriff’s department and county attorneys handle foreclosures. The move will save money and put an end to the profiteering by a Kaupas in-law, he said.

“It’s a staggering breach of integrity for the current sheriff to continue steering such large sums of money to a family member of one of his administrators,” Kelley said in his statement. “I’ll restore public trust immediately by ending a sweetheart deal that has made one private lawyer rich at the expense of thousands upon thousands of people who were struggling just to keep a roof over their heads.”

Paul Kaupas claimed bringing the foreclosure process in-house will require hiring as many as four more county employees and said the move would save little money, if it doesn’t end up costing even more.

“It might save a little bit, but not considering the hassle,” he said.

While Will County uses a private law firm, Deputy Chief Jerome Nudera conceded, “A lot of counties do their own.”

Paul Kaupas also said Miller’s law firm got the foreclosure gig during the administration of Sheriff John Johnsen in 1987, long before he took office.

“These sales have been going on for years, we didn’t pick them,” he said.

Miller failed to return calls for comment.

Paul Kaupas went on to say he does not have the authority to end the arrangement, and neither would Kelley if he wins the election. The chief judge and the county board would have to be consulted and go along with getting rid of Miller, he said.

“It’s not up to me to say, ‘Tomorrow we use Dewey Cheatem & Howe,’” Paul Kaupas explained.

“It just shows you he has no concept of what’s going on in the sheriff’s department,” Paul Kaupas said of Kelley. “He has no concept of what it takes to run the sheriff’s office.”

Ken Kaupas said he has no connection to foreclosure auctions or the selection of his brother-in-law to assist in them. In fact, he pointed out, he only got married in 1997 and did not even know his wife when her brother landed the foreclosure job. He was a sergeant with the Illinois State Police and living in Lemont at the time, he said, and was 23 years away from taking his position with the sheriff’s department.

Ken Kaupas was hired by his cousin in December 2010 after retiring from the state police as a captain.

“I’ve had no involvement in any of this,” he said.

If he triumphs in the election, Ken Kaupas said, he will address the matter with the chief judge.

“My first goal is to win the election,” he said. “Then I’ll have to deal with this issue.”

Go take a look at our Facebook page.