Marathon Pundit: ILL-inois: Corruption comes to my hometown

This story of alleged Illinois corruption hits home--because it involves my hometown of Palos Heights.

From the Daily Southtown:

Oak Forest residents are trying to understand how a married couple who "were part of everything in this community" find themselves accused of stealing $352,000 from the Palos Heights Fire Protection District.

Charles Sopko, 47, is a deputy fire chief in Oak Forest, vice president of the park board and co-founder of the Oak Forest Fury lacrosse team.

His wife, Michelle, 45, is a member of the Arbor Park School District 145 Board and "was always active in any community improvement project going on," a neighbor said.

But as a part-time bookkeeper/administrative assistant with the Palos Heights Fire Protection District, Michelle Sopko allegedly manipulated payroll and accounts payable systems to hide the diversion of $352,000 to the couple's bank account over a period of about 30 months from 2009 to 2012, according to Cook County sheriff's police.

Mother Marathon Pundit still lives in Palos Heights--it pains me that her tax dollars were, allegedly, being filched.

Among my favorite childhood memories was the annual Saturday Candy Day organized by the Palos Heights Fire Protection District during Fire Prevention District.

Yes, the good old days are over.

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