Crystal Lake man ordered to pay back $41K he admitted to stealing from McHenry firefighter nonprofit

A former part-time McHenry firefighter and paramedic pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing from a nonprofit firefighters association and was ordered to pay back more than $41,000 in restitution and sentenced to two years of conditional discharge.

John Kuhl, 55, of Crystal Lake was charged with a single count of theft of between $500 and $10,000, a Class 2 felony, which he pleaded guilty to Tuesday, court records show.

As part of the conditional discharge, Kuhl must perform 75 hours of public service and write letters of apology to the McHenry Township Fire Protection District and the McHenry Firefighters Association. In addition to the restitution, he also must pay fees and fines of $1,124, according to the sentencing order.

Kuhl was accused of using the McHenry Firefighters Association’s debit card to make personal purchases and withdraw cash, according to the criminal complaint filed by the McHenry Police Department.

Kuhl, who previously acted as the association’s treasurer, is accused of withdrawing more than $40,000 worth of funds from the association.

The association alerted the McHenry Police Department after noticing discrepancies with its bank accounts, according to a release issued at the time of his arrest.

The suspicious activity largely occurred between April 2019 and September 2021, when funds were withdrawn from the association’s fraternal account without authorization, according to the release.

At the time of his arrest, Kuhl was listed as a firefighter and paramedic for the fire department in its 2020 annual report. Another report published in 2017 indicated that he had 22 years of service at the time.

Kuhl has not been an employee with the district since November 2021, Fire Chief Rudy Horist said.