The Office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced the arrest of Essex Township Clerk Traci Freytag, charging her with stealing $94,000 from taxpayers.

The 50-year-old Freytag is accused of using $94,000 of taxpayer money for personal use, including two trips to Florida.

Freytag faces up to 15 years in prison, if convicted. She’s charged with felony counts of theft of government property, fraud, and 2-counts of official misconduct.
Freytag was arrested in South Carolina and will be brought back to Kankakee.

Prosecutors claim Freytag stole the money between November 2014 and May of 2016, depositing township checks into her personal account.

"Stealing taxpayer money to use for personal enjoyment is a brazen form of public corruption," Madigan said. "I appreciate the Office of the Inspector General of the FDIC helping us bring this defendant to justice, as well as the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office and the Aiken, South Carolina Police Department for their assistance."

94.1 WGFA