Woodridge Man Pleads Guilty Mid-Trial to Theft from Children’s Charitable Organization 

DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett announced today that Sean Penn, 30 (d.o.b. 3/04/75) of 3220 Everglade Avenue in Woodridge entered a blind plea of guilty today to one (1) charge of Theft in excess of $10,000 in return for the State’s agreement to dismiss the charge of Theft in excess of $100,000. This plea of guilty was entered mid-trial after the State had rested its case. Penn will be sentenced on May 6, 2005 in courtroom 4000 by Judge Ann Jorgensen, at which time restitution will also be set.

In 1997, Penn became the bookkeeper for the Illinois Federation of Families, a small, charitable organization that provides assistance to families with children having behavioral or emotional disorders. The organization has its headquarters in Glen Ellyn. The evidence at trial demonstrated that the defendant, after learning the record keeping system of the organization, began improperly acquiring large numbers of organization checks over a period of 28 months that he wrote to himself or to others for his own personal purposes. The names of authorized signatories to the Illinois Federation of Families checking accounts were placed on the checks through the defendant’s use of signature stamps that he was neither authorized to possess or use. In September of 2001, following an investigation, Penn was indicted by the DuPage County Grand Jury on two counts of Theft.

During Penn’s trial, the checks admitted into evidence included more than $90,000 made payable to the defendant and $23,000 made payable to others, including more than $4,000 made payable to a banquet hall, a D.J. and a limo service for the defendant’s wedding. Additionally, $2,295 was illegally authorized for the purchase of a motorcycle from an Iowa dealer, more than $500 for a hotel room during a trip to Disney World in Florida, and thousands more for rental cars, phone and cable television service as well as other miscellaneous expenditures.

“This defendant, for no apparent reason other than greed, stole tens of thousands of dollars in charitable contributions intended to help children in need,” commented State’s Attorney Birkett. “We will seek a lengthy prison sentence and full restitution to both punish this defendant and to deter others from repeating such a despicable crime.”

Penn is eligible for up to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.