Feds Smack Former DuPage Superintendent With Indictment For Fraud, Embezzlement

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL — The former Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 superintendent who was in charge during the district's financial downturn has been federally charged.

Lawrence Wyllie was indicted on federal fraud charges, the United States Department of Justice announced Thursday. Wyllie, 79, faces five counts of wire fraud and one count of embezzlement in an indictment unsealed on Wednesday.

The charges come a year after multiple subpoenas were issued in regard to records that involved Wyllie and the district, including accusations that he misused bond funds for personal projects. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for New Lenox — or your town. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

The indictment states that Wyllie hid the "true financial health" of the district during his time as superintendent. The personal projects on which he allegedly used at least $50,000 of the bonds include Superdog, a dog-training school he operated at one of the district's schools. The indictment claims Superdog "provided no benefit to the four high schools" in the district.

He is also accused of misusing more than $16,000 by paying himself a retirement stipend that was not in his contract. In all, Wyllie is accused of causing the district to assume at least $7 million in additional debt.

He "devised, intended to devise and participated in a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises and by concealment of material facts," according to the indictment.

Part of his alleged scheme was to misuse the funds by making "false statements and representations" to the school board, bond purchasers and the public regarding 2009 bond proceeds so he could "conceal the school district's true financial condition."

In a statement Thursday, District 210 said officials have cooperated with requests by the federal authorities throughout this investigation, and that the district is "committed to protecting taxpayer dollars."

“This board is committed to continued oversight and assessment of district policies and procedures,” LW 210 Board of Education President Joseph Kirkeeng said. “The board will continue to work with the administration to move this district forward.”

The counts of wire fraud against Wyllie are each punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Embezzlement carries a maximum ten year sentence.

Wyllie, now of Naperville, retired from LW 210 in 2013. He was replaced by current Superintendent Scott Tingley.

More Coverage on Patch:

• Lincoln-Way Supt. Lawrence Wyllie Announces Retirement
• Supt. Lawrence Wyllie Looks Back On Career, Retires From D210
• State Targets LW 210's Finances In Investigation
• Former LW Superintendent Bails On Boards, Sells Frankfort Home
• Feds Subpoena LW 210 Records
• Feds Probe Nearly $420K In LW 210 Payments To Lettering Company

Photo: 1) Lawrence Wyllie, Patch file photo from 2013. 2) The top of a federal indictment against Wyllie that was unsealed Wednesday by the United States Department of Justice.

By Tim Moran (Patch Staff)