Deputy Chief Wrote Fake Tickets To Up His Pay: Prosecutors

VERNON HILLS, IL — Former Vernon Hills Deputy Chief of Police Patrick Zimmerman pleaded guilty to theft after prosecutors say he wrote out fake traffic tickets in order to get a boost in his pay.

Zimmerman, 51, has been ordered to pay $4,300 in restitution to the city of Vernon Hills and complete 50 hours of public service. He will no longer be able to serve as a police officer in Illinois due to his guilty plea, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Zimmerman pleaded guilty to one count of theft for falsification of records in order to obtain money for work he did not perform. As part of a negotiated plea deal, prosecutors dropped an additional charge of official misconduct.

“We feel that this resolution takes into account former Deputy Chief Zimmerman’s years of service to our community, but also holds him accountable for violating the public trust,” State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said. “The taxpayers will be reimbursed under this plea agreement, and former officer Zimmerman will have a criminal conviction on his record.”

In September 2020, city officials launched an investigation into the theft after noticing discrepancies in the documentation of the Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program. STEP disperses grant funding to local police departments that use the money to compensate officers for additional time spent on traffic enforcement, and is widely throughout Illinois and Lake County.

Zimmerman resigned that same month, and prosecutors said an investigation revealed he'd been paid more than $4,000 based on fake traffic tickets he'd written.

In Zimmerman’s case, police and prosecutors determined that no motorist was affected by the scheme.

“Zimmerman wrote false tickets, but never submitted them to the clerk’s office or to municipal officials. Luckily, no motorists were directly impacted by Zimmerman’s actions,” according to prosecutors.

Zimmerman was indicted by a Lake County Grand Jury on theft and official misconduct charges in March 2021.

As part of his sentence, Zimmerman has also been ordered to serve 18 months of conditional discharge. Zimmerman will be placed on the office’s “Brady List.” The list is a compilation of officers and former officers who have engaged in misconduct and is disclosed to defense attorneys in cases involving those officers.

Zimmerman is not the first law enforcement official accused of illegally taking advantage of traffic enforcement grants.

In 2013, a police commander in the Des Plaines Police Department pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft charges for improperly receiving more than $34,000 in grant funds.

Vernon Hills Chief of Police Patrick L. Kreis, who initiated the internal investigation, said he agreed with the resolution of the Zimmerman's case and noted that the police department is committed to holding itself accountable to the community.

Kreis said the village and his department conducted a complete audit of STEP activities, and although no other misconduct was identified, the department implemented improved oversight measures as a result.

“We believe that traffic enforcement measures through the STEP program are important in keeping our roads safe," Kreis said.