Illinois corruption 9/6/12: "Elaborate schemes" in a county forest preserve district

That latest news from America's most corrupt state comes from Chicago's western suburbs. Authorities are accusing two former DuPage County Forest Preserve District employees of stealing $150,000 from the district in two "elaborate schemes." A contractor has also been charged.

From TribLocal:

Charges of official misconduct, theft, taking kickbacks and unlawful participation have been filed against Mark McDonald, 53, the former director of information technology at the district, and David Tepper, 49, the former information technology manager at the district.

The former contractor, Arif Mahmood, 37, has been charged with theft and accepting kickbacks.

In one scheme, McDonald, of Wheaton, and Tepper, of River Forest, used a company they owned, Integrated Design Solutions, to bill the district for more than $90,000 of work and equipment the district never received between 2005 and 2011, prosecutors said.

In the second scheme, Mahmood, of Glendale Heights, used a company he owned, Alamach Technology, to overbill the district for contract work and used Integrated Designs to overbill for other services, netting kickbacks of more than $64,000 for McDonald and Tepper in 2010 and 2011.

Drip...drip...drip...these stories keep coming.

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