Jury to Hear of Illinois Public Official’s Gambling in Overtime Fraud Case

A jury in Kankakee County, Ill., will review evidence regarding the gambling behaviors of a former Iroquois County Public Health Department administrator accused of falsely claiming 759 hours spent in a local slots parlor as overtime, according to The Ford County Chronicle. 

Prosecutors allege that Dee Ann Schippert, 57, embezzled more than $100,000 from the health department from May 31, 2020, to July 15, 2022. They claim she achieved this by submitting false timesheets that asserted overtime she didn't earn, hours she didn't work, and backpay she wasn't entitled to. 

When a fellow employee at the health department became aware of these supposed activities, Schippert dismissed them in what was termed "whistleblower retaliation" in court filings. 

She is confronting 33 felony charges, which consist of eight counts of deception in theft of government property, eight counts of forgery, and 17 counts of misconduct in office. 

Betting Hub to Scenario 

During a hearing this week, Judge William Dickenson rejected a motion submitted by Schippert’s attorneys in December to bar evidence related to her gambling activities. Defense attorneys contended in the motion that this evidence was “not pertinent.” 

Attorneys from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office contended that Schippert’s gambling was pivotal to the case. The ex-public official allegedly spent roughly 38 hours monthly at Winnie’s Gaming Café in Watseka while supposedly on the job, they claimed. 

Prosecutors plan to present surveillance footage, mobile phone information, and work laptop sign-in logs at trial to demonstrate that Schippert was gambling while at work. They will also provide witness statements from employees who will assert they frequently noticed her car parked outside Winnie’s during business hours.

"The People intend to present evidence from both witnesses as well as documentary records reviewed during the investigation to demonstrate that the Defendant was not only not working her required 40 hours per week (but) was also falsifying her overtime hours in order to receive overtime pay,” Assistant Illinois Attorney General Haley Bookhout wrote.

“Evidence of her hours spent at Winnie’s, coupled with other evidence obtained, is both highly relevant and necessary to the people’s case in-chief,” she added.

Political Opinions Prohibited 

A distinct motion submitted by Schippert’s attorneys to prevent any mention of her political or social beliefs – such as her stance against the “LGBTQIA+ agenda” – was approved without resistance from the prosecution. 

If found guilty, Schippert may encounter considerable prison time, restitution payments, and a lifelong prohibition from holding public office. The scheduling for jury selection in the case has not been determined.