'From Planting Things to Volo Bog': Gliniewicz Texts About How to Handle Village Administrator

Messages released by the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force on Wednesday reveal some of the misdeeds Fox Lake Police Lt. Charles “GI Joe” Gliniewicz was involved in. Investigators reviewed, 6,500 pages of text messages, as well as bank documents, to determine that the 38-year police veteran was involved in ripping off funds from Police Explorers post he managed.

The messages show that he was trying to remove the Explorers out from under the scrutiny of the village administrator, who had ordered an audit of the program.

At one point, he suggests setting up the village administrator in a DUI arrest or even disposing of her body in Volo Bog state park.

March 27, 2015: Messages between Gliniewicz and an LFL Executive

• JG: “Between you and I, I’m having a great deal of problems with our new village administrator. I’ve had a talk with the chief and he agrees with me. Does the PD have to be the sponsor for the post? I’ve done some research and it’s not evident anywhere that a law enforcement organization has to sponsor an LE post. In fact I’ve seen 3 at competitions that were sponsored by other entities, and even a FD. Thoughts???”
• LFL: “No you don’t have to be chartered by the city. Is there a rotary or something out there that would be supportive”
• JG: “Yes, I’m working that issue today and through the weekend.. We have a new village administrator that is a power monger and is trying to control everything in the village. We are all looking at our pd retirement options and I need to move the post out of that span of control at least till this person’s contract is up.”
• JG: “Thanks and what would you need since we are rechartering, just the organization and organization head info/signature? I’m keeping this under wraps for now, only you the chief, my wife and myself know this and I current want to keep it that way until the final decision is made”

April 14: Messages between Gliniewicz and Individual #1

• JG: “I talked to him again, and now thinks this is a knee-jerk reaction, and that when we put in our 2 wks, or set a retirement date, then he will move it…”
• #1: “Omfg and in the mean tiem she can do what she wants f***ing a”
• #1: “Maybe seeing as we are our on 503c she can’t touch the money and maybe a letter on file from behan stating all is our and the pd and village have no claim”
• JG: “Nope, as long as we are sponsored by the pd, and after she makes the village structure change she will have the means and ability to do as she wishes”
• #1: “Does he inderstand that then? And maybe we need to hide the funds some how”

May 13: Messages between Gliniewicz and Individual #1

• JG: “She hates me and I’ve never said more than 3 sentences to her in the year shes been here… hates the explorer program and is crawling up my ass and the program, chief wont sign off to move it to American legion and if she gets ahold of the checking account, im pretty well [expletive]”
• #1: “Hopefully she decides to get a couple of drinks in her and she gets a dui”
• JG: She does, but not around here and no one knows where. Trust me ive thoughit through MANY SCENARIOUS from planting things to volo bog!!!”

June 26: Messages between Gliniewicz and Individual #2

• JG: I’m sticking my neck out there with loaning you over $2377.00 to fix your truck specifically and only to help accommodate your summer leave, trip to OK. I would not have otherwise. I can’t even pay for state now cause their account is down to %1578.72, and that’s 4 bodies and 2 advisors at $450 a piece!! Not to mention the $3,055.72 still left to pay for their uniforms… I will need you to do an allotment to their account, at min $100 a month VERY SOON!!
• JG: “So if called on the carpet I can say, “we give our explorers and advisors loans from time to time if it is needed, and this is proof it is being paid back” you get whwre I’m coming from? This village administrator hates me and the explorer program. This situation right here would give her the means to CRUCIFY ME it it were discovered. Compound this with “if” I was selected for chief of antioch, i would be leaving here and would have to turn this account over to someone else…