ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — A northern Illinois coroner has been indicted by a grand jury on charges that include stealing more than $14,000 from dead people.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the indictment this week of Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz on multiple counts of official misconduct and theft of government funds.
The indictment alleges that Hintz stole the $14,500 in cash belonging to deceased people from his office’s evidence vault and pocketed about $2,500 that he required family members to pay to recover the cremated remains of homeless loved ones.
“The defendant has demonstrated a clear pattern of using the office of the Winnebago County coroner to line his pockets,” Raoul said. “The defendant’s actions took advantage of grieving families and abused the trust of Winnebago County residents.”
Hintz did not respond to a request for comment.