Ted Brodeur, Ex-Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO, Faces Indictment

SHOREWOOD — Eleven months after Joliet Patch reported that a retired supervisor from the Joliet Park District was being investigated for allegations of embezzlement of funds from the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization of Will and Grundy Counties, special prosecutor Bill Elward has filed one felony theft charge against Ted Brodeur of Shorewood.

Thursday's indictment on file at the Will County Courthouse indicates that Brodeur is accused of stealing somewhere between $10,000 and $100,000. The charge indicates that Brodeur, who turns 59 next week, committed the crime between Jan. 1, 2022 and Dec. 19, 2023.

Nat Freeman, the lieutenant who oversees the Will County Sheriff's Office criminal investigations unit, said that Brodeur has admitted to using ATM cards issued to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization for his own personal use to obtain cash. Freeman said the misuse of funds was in excess of $10,000.

Freeman said that Brodeur was issued a summons to appear at the Will County Courthouse, therefore, a mugshot is unavailable because Brodeur will not be booked into the Will County Jail in connection with his felony theft charge.

Freeman said the several month long investigation was spearheaded by Will County Sheriff's Detective Hilary Lithgow.

In January, Joliet Police Department spokesman Dwayne English informed Joliet Patch that "I can confirm that the Joliet Police Department took a police report regarding Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. This report has been forwarded to the Will County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation as there are former and current members of the Joliet Police Department that actively serve on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties Board of Directors and could be considered potential witnesses ... As this is not a Joliet Police investigation, I am unable to provide further information."

In May of 2023, Brodeur was sued at the Will County Courthouse by Numark Credit Union as part of foreclosure mortgage complaint. Brodeur's house in the 800 block of Shorewood's Willow Lane. The foreclosure noted that Brodeur owed an outstanding principal balance of $265,628 plus a deferred principal balance of $34,610 plus attorney fees, foreclosure costs and late charges.

Six months later, in November 2023, a Will County judge dismissed the foreclosure case against Brodeur, indicating that the mortgage shall remain in full force and effect and that Brodeur would be responsible for his own attorneys fees and costs related to the case.

As for Brodeur, back in 2019, Joliet Patch reported that he walked away from the Joliet Park District with a taxpayer-funded payout of $98,699 after about 30 years on the job. After leaving Joliet Park Districct, Brodeur became the chief executive officer of the Joliet-based Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization in August 2019. He replaced Mike Trafton, who was the retired chief of police for the Joliet Police Department.

In 2018, Trafton and his brother Rick signed a five-year lease agreement with the Joliet Park District to open The Dock at Inwood restaurant. The following year, Brodeur left as the Joliet Park District in good standing, retiring as the director of revenue facilities and golf operations, and his payout for leaving included $17,215, which was two months of regular salary, plus another $81,484 for his nest egg of unused vacation time and sick days.

In January, Joliet Park District executive director Brad Staab told Joliet Patch that Brodeur would be a topic of discussion at the park board's upcoming later this month. The topic will relate to financial matters, specifically during Brodeur's tenure at the park district, Staab said.

On Thursday, Staab told Patch that the Park District found no evidence that Brodeur was misusing or embezzling funds during his tenure as a department head for the Joliet Park District.

Meanwhile, one of Brodeur's long-time coworkers, former Joliet Park District director of finances Matt Pehle, is currently facing eight felony charges surrounding allegations of misuse of Joliet taxpayer funds and credit cards at the park district, according to a Joliet police investigation that lasted two years.

In Pehle's case, he is accused of misusing Joliet Park District funds to buy expensive tickets for himself to see the Chicago Cubs games and attend music concerts.

Pehle's case is set for another pretrial hearing in Courtroom 404 on Dec. 18.