Man Who Stole $400K From College Of DuPage Ordered To Pay Up, Sentenced: State's Attorney's Office

WHEATON, IL — A Wheaton man has to cough up $400,000 and serve eight years in prison after he was convicted of stealing nearly half a million from College of DuPage in 2013. John Valenta, 68, of 1757 Lucky Debonair Ct., plead guilty to one felony count of theft in excess of $100,000 from a school or place of worship in February.

Valenta, who had worked as a radio engineer at the college for 30 years, had penned several invoices for engineering work from the college to his company, Broadcast Technologies. Police conducted an investigation that uncovered that Valenta had falsified invoices from June 2006 through September 2013. The invoices were for repairs to a radio transmitter he owned, along with other labor, merchandise, and repairs that were never rendered, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office said in a release.

"Mr. Valenta’s greed finally got the better of him," DuPage County State's Attorney General Robert Berlin said, adding, “He was no longer satisfied with a good paying job he held for nearly three decades and decided that he would simply steal from not only the College of DuPage but from DuPage County taxpayers to fatten his wallet. I would like to thank the authorities at the College of DuPage, particularly Daniel Bindert and Detective Kent Munsterman, for exposing Mr. Valenta’s scheme and for bringing this matter to our attention. I would also like to thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Ken Tatarelis and Lynn Cavallo for their work in holding Mr. Valenta responsible for his actions.”

Valenta must serve 50% of his eight-year sentence before he is eligible for parole. He must also pay $399,000 in restitution to the college.

>>Image via DuPage County Sheriff website