Ford Heights Village Hall Raided as Part of Illinois Attorney General Investigation
Cook County sheriff’s deputies blocked the street as investigators entered and exited the municipal hall, and officials gave no details on the probe.
- On Friday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced 79 felony charges against 11 current and former Ford Heights elected officials and employees for allegedly misusing municipal funds.
- Illinois Attorney General investigators and the Cook County Sheriff executed a search warrant at Ford Heights Municipal Hall on Thursday, with officers carrying boxes of evidence throughout the day.
- Prosecutors allege the defendants used municipal funds to pay for flights, hotels, and exorbitant spending trips to casinos in Las Vegas and Michigan City, Indiana, with charges including theft of governmental property and official misconduct.
- The 11 defendants are scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Sept. 30, with Raoul stating, "Elected officials and civil servants are rightfully held to a higher standard."
- Former Mayor Charles Griffin resigned in 2024 after conviction for misusing village funds; current Ford Heights Mayor Freddie Wilson, appointed to replace him, was not identified as a target in this investigation.
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11 Articles
11 Current, Former Ford Heights Officials Charged With Using Public Funds for Private Travel
<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">11 Current, Former Ford Heights Officials Charged With Using Public Funds for Private Travel </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Matt Masterson</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-09-25T16:58:59-05:00" title="Friday, September 25,…
Cook County sheriff, Illinois attorney general conduct investigation at Ford Heights Municipal Hall – CBS2 (Chicago)
Some officers could be seen carrying boxes out of the hall. There were also officers visible inside the administrative building through the front windows and squad cars parked in the lot outside. But this isn't the first time the village hall has been under scrutiny. The last mayor of Ford Heights resigned in 2024 after he was convicted of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the city.
Cook County sheriff, Illinois attorney general conduct investigation at Ford Heights Municipal Hall
There was a large police presence at Ford Heights Municipal Hall Thursday as the Cook Cook County Sheriff's Office and Illinois Attorney General carried out an investigation.
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