Ex-LW D210 Supt. Lawrence Wyllie's Fraud Trial Delayed

FRANKFORT, IL — The federal fraud trial for former Lincoln-Way High School District 210 Supt. Lawrence Wyllie is facing another delay. Wyllie was indicted last year on five counts of wire fraud and a single count of embezzlement, and his trial had been scheduled to begin Nov. 26.

But Wyllie's unspecified health issues have forced that date to be crossed off. His medical records were filed in court under seal Oct. 5, and lawyers for both sides agreed that the 80-year-old former school administrator's health wouldn't allow him to get ready for an upcoming jury trial, according to The Herald-News.

Details about Wyllie's health that prompted the decision could not be given because the medical records were filed under seal. A status hearing is set for Dec. 17.

Wyllie's trial originally had been set to start Dec. 3. But in July, that date was moved to Nov. 26, a week earlier. Before Wyllie's health issues were disclosed, Judge Gary Feinerman had said he thought the proceedings would run between three to four weeks.

More Patch Coverage:

• Former LW 210 Supt. Lawrence Wyllie Indicted
• Wyllie Gets Date For Fraud Trial
• Wyllie Gets New Date For Trial
• Wyllie Repaid $16K Bonus In May: Report

A grand jury indicted Wyllie in September 2017, and he's accused of misusing school district bond money to finance his personal projects. That included allegedly spending $50,000 on Superdog, a dog-training school, as well as allegedly paying himself $16,000 as part of a retirement stipend not included in his contract, according to the indictment.

But in May, Wyllie returned the retirement bonus to the district, and in a letter to current D210 Supt. Scott Tingley, he claimed that he was under "the honest, but mistaken belief" that he could receive such a bonus.

The federal indictment also accuses Wyllie of concealing the district's "true financial health" while he was superintendent. While under his leadership, the district allegedly generated at least $7 million in additional debt, according to the complaint. In 2015, Lincoln-Way landed on the state's financial watch list, which led to the closing of Lincoln-Way North High School in June 2016.

If convicted, Wyllie could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count. The embezzlement charge carries a maximum 10-year sentence if convicted.

More via The Herald-News

Former Lincoln-Way High School District 210 Supt. Lawrence Wyllie (Photo via Lincoln-Way High School District 210)