A Lake County woman is charged with theft and forgery for allegedly stealing more than $110,000 from the Ravinia Festival Association when she was an employee, according to the Attorney General’s office.
Michelle Bringham, 39, of Glenview, faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Attorney General’s Office noted that Bringham worked as an accounting coordinator with the Ravinia Festival Association, a nonprofit that operates the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park.
According to Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Bringham wrote checks to a fake vendor to steal funds from the nonprofit. Prosecutors allege that Bringham also allegedly used another employee’s signature stamp on checks without the employee’s permission.
“It is unacceptable for an employee to abuse their position as a fiscal officer to forge checks and steal from a nonprofit organization,” Raoul said in a release announcing the charges. “I want to thank the FBI for its work investigating this case. My office is committed to collaborating with law enforcement partners to hold individuals who commit theft and forgery accountable.”
The FBI is investigating. No booking photo of Bringham was made available.