Somonauk shop owners allegedly charged semi truck owner $28K for fake repairs: Police

SYCAMORE – A Somonauk husband and wife who own an auto body shop allegedly swindled a semi-truck owner out of $28,000 in fake repairs, court records show.

Scott E. Krueger, 47, and his wife, Marie E. Krueger, 44, each face criminal charges of theft by deception and seven counts of forgery, according to DeKalb County court records. If convicted of the most serious crime, forgery, the couple could each face up to five years in prison.

The Kruegers own and operate Krueger’s Parts and Repair, 10694 Sanderson Road in Somonauk, according to DeKalb County court records filed Aug. 6. The couple was charged Aug. 6 and taken into police custody by DeKalb County Sheriff’s deputies and booked into the jail Sunday.

Police said the theft happened over the course of several months, from December 2023 to March 2024. The Kruegers allegedly falsified invoices and receipts to defraud the truck owners of the money, records show.

In December, two Paw Paw residents bought a 2011 Freightliner conventional semi truck, which was taken to Krueger Parts and Repair for inspection and repairs Dec. 15, according to court records. The truck owners paid $600 to the Krueger’s shop for parts on that day.

On Jan. 5, the owners paid the Kruegers $6,000 more for additional parts, according to court records. Another $3,000 was paid Jan. 22 for labor, and $2,000 more Jan. 29 for “service to the transmission,” according to court records. On Feb. 5, the truck owners again paid $6,000 more to the Kruegers for more parts and labor, and $5,000 more Feb. 13.

The truck owners got the truck back from the Krueger’s shop on March 8, and made a final payment of $3,000, according to court records.

A police investigation into the payments unearthed fake invoices from companies, police said. Falsified invoices allegedly made by the Kruegers came from Weller Truck Parts, Industrial Parts Depot LLC, FleetPride Heavy Duty Parts and Service, Lakeside International LLC, JX Truck Center - Bloomington and Aurora Truck Center, according to court records.

The Kruegers were arrested on a warrant Sunday and then released, records show. Their charges are not detainable under the guidelines outlined in the Pretrial Fairness Act, sometimes known as the SAFE-T Act.

They’re ordered to appear in front of Circuit Court Judge Philip Montgomery for a status hearing at 9 a.m. Aug. 29.

A link to the website for Krueger Parts and Repair did not appear to be working as of 5 p.m. Monday. A phone number listed for the business also could not be reached. Phone calls to the Kruegers were not returned.