Special Prosecutor Assigned to Food Pantry Theft Case

YORKVILLE, IL — A special prosecutor will be handling the theft of funds from the Kendall County Food Pantry due to Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis being a potential witness.

Originally reported by Kendall County Now, Judge Timothy McCann “appointed a special prosecutor from the Illinois Office of the State's Attorney Appellate Prosecutor.”

Weis told Patch that he was a member of the Kendall County Food Pantry Board until early 2014.

“(I) would be needed to testify that any missing funds were not authorized,” Weis said in an email. “I would not be able to testify and prosecute.”

Former Food Pantry Executive Director Maria Spaeth and her husband, Ken, recently resigned from the Kendall County Food Pantry. Ken Spaeth worked as the treasurer. Spaeth died June 21 of a prescription drug overdose.

The resignations came shortly after Yorkville police opened an investigation into an apparent theft of funds from the Pantry. It is unknown if the resignations were in any way connected.

According to to Jeff Young, acting chairman of the Kendall County Food Pantry Board, two previous volunteers were being investigated. No one at the Pantry receives compensation for their work.

“The Kendall County Food Pantry and its board are all volunteers and have always been volunteers,” Young said in a previous article.

Yorkville police say they served search warrants June 1 on the Food Pantry, located at 208 Beaver St., and at a personal residence in Kendall County.

Yorkville Police Department Deputy Chief Terry Klingel said there are a couple of persons of interest involved with the theft of funds. He was unable to give more information about them, other than that they held some role within the Pantry.

Klingel told Patch that Spaeth's death would affect the investigation, but not to the point that it would be stopped. He would not comment on whether Spaeth was ever a suspect.

Klingel was unable to say how much money was stolen. The initial police report said the theft was more than $500, but WSPY News, citing unnamed sources, reports the theft was more than $100,000.

The Pantry recently reorganized and is getting a new name and board.