Western Springs Man Defrauds Cook County of More Than $100K: Cops

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — A parking garage operator from Western Springs is accused of defrauding Cook County of more than $100,000 in tax money, the attorney general says.

William Sommerfeld, 63, was charged in Cook County Circuit Court with the felonies of theft of government property of more than $100,000 and wire fraud.

According to the indictment, between Jan. 1, 2017 and Jan. 20, 2018, Mid-City Parking Inc. collected more than $100,000 in taxes that Sommerfeld did not remit to Cook County.

Cook County assesses a parking lot and garage operations tax that requires parking lot operators to remit taxes to the Cook County Department of Revenue.

“Cook County’s parking lot tax is an important revenue source for vital county services,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release. “I am committed to continuing to partner with local authorities to hold accountable individuals who try to defraud Illinois residents for their personal gain.”

Sommerfeld’s bond was set at $100,000, and a hearing was set for Jan. 29, the attorney general said.