Former Ogle County sheriff faces 2 felony theft charges

DIXON – A former Ogle County sheriff is facing two felony theft charges from his time in office.

Michael Harn, 54, is accused of buying goods and services with Ogle County funds under false pretenses and using them for his personal benefit.

According to court documents filed Wednesday, prosecutors say he bought numerous items with county funds, including electronic equipment, boat equipment, radio-controlled toys, party tents, coolers, weapons, hunting guns, Harley-Davidson clothing and accessories, adult novelty items, and outdoor fountains.

The list goes on to include auto maintenance for his personal vehicles, Apple iTunes products, and radio advertising.

The total cost of the items falls between $500 and $10,000.

Special Prosecutor Dave Neal, of the Illinois Office of State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor's Office, said the charges resulted from a 2-year Illinois State Police investigation that began shortly after an internal audit of the office in December 2014 and January 2015.

The thefts were said to have occurred between June 1, 2011, and Dec. 2, 2014. The felonies each carry a sentence of 3 to 7 years.

He is set to appear in Ogle County court at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 10.

Harn served as Ogle County sheriff from 2010 to 2014 before being defeated by Brian VanVickle during re-election. His salary was $87,000.

While in office, Harn stewarded a fund containing administrative tow fees and other money that was not included in the county's budget.

Sauk Valley Media began reporting Harn's questionable spending from the fund in December 2013, including purchases of $7,500 in restaurant meals and more than $3,400 in clothing such as Lucky Brand jeans, Under Armour polo shirts, Harley-Davidson clothing and gear, plus Men’s Wearhouse suits, shirts, ties, pants and shoes for Harn and a detective.

The fund was established in 2011 by a county ordinance that gave the sheriff’s department the ability to charge a $350 fee when it had vehicles towed, an effort to supplement the department's budget.

In the fund’s first 2 years of existence, about $210,000 was deposited, with one third – $70,000 – coming from sources other than administrative tow fees.

In October 2014, Sikich, a Naperville-based accounting and consulting company, released an audit discovering that nearly $11,000 was missing from the fund.

The firm also found about $61,000 in revenue that should have gone into the county’s general fund but was instead placed into the tow fund.

"This investigation involved hundreds of hours of good police work going through hundreds of transactions authorized by then-sheriff Michael Harn," Neal said.

On the tail end of his time as sheriff, Harn was hired as the Forrestville Valley School District's maintenance coordinator, juggling two full-time positions for 6 months from June to November in 2014.

He was also elected as Forreston Village Board President in 2005, a position he resigned from June 22 before completing his third term, which would have expired in April. Trustee Mark Metzger was appointed to fill out the rest of his term.

VanVickle said since he was elected, the sheriff's office has altered its accounting practices and become more transparent with record-keeping and financial management.

"Additionally, during the transition in 2014, the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office administrative command was restructured," VanVickle said in a news release this afternoon. "These changes both in processes and structure have given the office more accountability and has returned the professionalism that the citizens of Ogle County deserve."