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Decatur Woman Sentenced to Probation for Theft of Government Property
URBANA, Ill. – Deborah G. Lake, 70, of Decatur, Illinois, has been sentenced to 12 months of probation for theft of government property.
Lake, who also goes by Deborah G. Mitchell and Deborah O’Neill, was formerly of Kankakee County, Illinois.
According to the plea agreement, Lake worked as a bookkeeper for the Grundy, Livingston, and Kankakee County Workforce Board, which oversees and sets policy for workforce development and training programs for those counties.
Lake created checks payable to herself for fraudulent invoices and embezzled over $33,000 from the Workforce Board. Lake pleaded guilty to the four-count indictment in November 2021.
At the hearing, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Mihm found that Lake abused a position of public trust in committing these crimes.
Lake was also ordered to pay $33,302.44 in restitution to the Workforce Board. The statutory penalties for theft of government property are up to ten years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the prosecution.
Lake’s sentence and restitution order mark the end of a lengthy investigation and prosecution that brought a Decatur woman to justice for her role in stealing government funds.
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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