$1.5 Million Embezzled From Joliet's Tepa Landscaping, Woman Delays Her Case Into Year 8: Complaint

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Patch has brought you exclusive stories revealing how Joliet first-degree murder defendants including Michael Kazecki and Peter Zabala have both successfully delayed their cases from going to trial for over seven years now. But murder cases in Will County aren't the only major crimes that often undergo several years of delays.

Robin Rodriguez, who is accused of stealing more than $1.5 million from Joliet's Tepa Landscaping on South Briggs Street, has managed to prolong efforts by the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow from taking her to trial for seven full years — and counting.

Will County Sheriff's detectives arrested Rodriguez when she was 49 years old, back on Dec. 27, 2018. She turned 56 years old back in May. A resident of Joliet, Rodriguez only spent one day in the county jail before regaining her freedom until Illinois' now-abolished cash bail system.

According to last week's proceedings before Will County Associate Judge Amy Christiansen, Rodriguez appeared in Courtroom 402 along with defense lawyer Edward Anderson, who joined Bretz, Flynn & Associates in 2012. Assistant State's Attorney Mark Shlifka appeared for the prosecution. Although Rodriguez's was on the court's docket to enter a plea bargain, that did not happen. Instead, the judge granted the defense's motion continuing the matter for a final plea and trial setting on Feb. 13, 2026.

Joliet Patch's recent review of Rodriguez's Will County Courthouse proceedings shows that the Joliet embezzlement defendant managed to delay her criminal proceedings all of 2025 without any meaningful action taking place.

According to the court calendar, Rodriguez was set to enter a plea bargain/trial setting back on Jan. 10, then it was moved to Jan. 24, then it was reset for March 27. After no plea bargain was worked out, Rodriguez was given another pretrial hearing on May 8. Then, she was scheduled to enter a plea bargain on July 10.

Rodriguez Obtains Several Orders In Recent Years To Travel Outside Illinois To Visit Family

This year's court docket listed additional dates of July 14 and Aug. 29 for plea bargains, then, most recently, Nov. 21, However, nothing of consequence happened in Judge Christiansen's courtroom in regard to Rodriguez and her Tepa Landscaping embezzlement case.

On the other hand, Rodriguez and her lawyers from Bretz & Associates filed and were granted several motions during the past four years allowing her to leave Illinois for various out of state travel while her criminal case remained at a standstill.

In October 2021, a Will County judge modified Rodriguez's bond to allow her to travel to Pittsburg, Kansas to visit her daughter from Nov. 1-6, 2021. In July 2022, Rodriguez's bond was modified to allow her to travel to Topeka, Kansas to visit her daughter from Aug. 31, 2022, to Sept. 7, 2022.

Then in July 2023, Rodriguez filed another motion to modify her bond, allowing her to travel to St. Louis to help her daughter move from Aug. 4, 2023 to Aug. 6, 2023. In addition to traveling to St. Louis, the same court order granted Rodriguez permission to travel to Frontenac, Kansas to visit her other daughter from Sept. 4, 2023, to Sept. 10, 2023, court records reviewed by Joliet Patch show.

Rodriguez Travels To Chicago in September

This past Sept. 2, attorney Bretz filed a motion to modify his client's electronic monitoring, and Judge Christiansen's order allowed Rodriguez permission to travel to the Richard J. Daley Center in Chicago the following day, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"All previous pretrial conditions are to remain in full effect," the judge announced.

Back in January 2019, Joliet Patch reported a civil lawsuit was filed against Rodriguez by her former employer, Tepa Landscaping.

The small family-run business on Joliet's Briggs Street accused Robin M. Rodriguez of stealing more than $1.5 million since the time of her hiring in the summer of 2010. The civil lawsuit also named her husband, Michael Rodriguez, as a co-defendant. The Will County civil lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, and the case was closed in May 2021.

Seven years ago, back in December 2018, under the old bail system, Robin Rodriguez's bail was set at $250,000. After spending one night in the Will County Jail, on Dec. 27, 2018, Armando Rodriguez, her daughter-in-law in Joliet, paid the 10 percent bail-bond deposit of $25,000, on Dec. 28, 2018, court records reflect.

Tepa Lawsuit: Rodriguez Was Associated With St. Ray's Catholic Church

According to Tepa Landscaping's lawsuit, Robin Rodriguez began working for them as a part-time office manager and bookkeeper in July 2010. She made $14 per hour. Tepa is the company of Jose Plascencia, who was the sole shareholder and officer. The partnership also involved Jose's brother, Ramon, "who participated in the operation and management of the business and shared in Tepa's earnings and profits," court records noted.

"Prior to her hiring by Tepa, defendant Robin Rodriguez has (sic) developed a close personal relationship with Jose Plascencia, his wife-to-be, Carrie Plascencia, Ramon Plascencia and his wife, Chris Plascencia by reason of the following events and interactions ... Robin Rodriguez was associated with St. Raymond Nonnatus Roman Catholic Church as a volunteer or sponsor, assisting catechumens in the process of conversion to Roman Catholicism," the lawsuit states.

"Robin Rodriguez acted as the sponsor assisting Carrie Plascencia in the process of Carrie's conversion to Roman Catholicism. Carrie Plascencia and through her, Jose, Ramon and Chris came to respect and esteem Robin Rodriguez and regard her as a person of high morality, honesty and personal integrity," according to Tepa's lawsuit filed by Joliet attorney Michael L. Bolos.

According to court records, Robin Rodriguez lives in the 3900 block of Brenton Drive in Joliet.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

$1.5M Embezzled From Tepa Landscaping: Lawsuit

Woman Stole Thousands From Tepa Landscaping: Complaint

Tepa Landscaping Faces Wrongful Death Suit In Motorcycle Fatality