Tollway: 12 Workers Stole As Much As $25,000 In Tolls

(STMW) -- At least 12 Illinois Tollway employees have either resigned or been fired for stealing more than $25,000 in tolls, including a 27-year veteran who admitted stealing $7,000 over seven years.

The cases were detailed in the Tollway Inspector General's office report summarizing activities from April through September. In all, 24 cases were opened and 20 closed within that time.

Investigations involved theft by toll collectors, employee benefit abuse and an employee improperly conducting outside employment during Tollway hours, a release from the Tollway said.

All employees involved in thefts have either resigned or been terminated, and a total of $25,500 in restitution has been returned to the Tollway in the past six months.

The Tollway also said all cases that qualify are forwarded to the appropriate state's attorney for criminal prosecution.

According to the report, one employee was caught collecting cash while classifying the transactions as emergency vehicles and pocketing the money for himself. On April 1, the collector, a 27-year-employee, who has resigned, admitted to conducting the illegal transactions for at least seven years.

He admitted stealing $7,000 and agreed to make full restitution, and the case was referred to the Cook County State's Attorney's office. He was charged with felony theft and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge, the report said.

His case was one of 12 in which employees either collected toll payments and kept the money or allowed drivers to travel without paying by incorrectly classifying vehicles as emergency vehicles to cover up the thefts, the release said.

The unusually high number of emergency vehicles was discovered by the Toll Audit section of the Internal Audit Department and then forwarded to the Office of the Inspector General.

Criminal charges were filed against a total of three employees and are pending against a fourth.

Other investigations resulted in disciplinary action against two employees for collecting benefits for which they did not qualify, and termination of one employee who was conducting non-Tollway business during work hours and misusing a non-revenue transponder.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)