A woman who worked for the Ravinia Festival Association in Highland Park has been charged with stealing more than $110,000 in funds following an FBI investigation.
Michelle Bringham, 39, of Glenview, was charged with two counts of theft over $100,000 and one count of forgery.
Bringham worked for the Ravinia Festival Association, which is a non-profit that operates the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park.
The organization also offers community engagement and education programs.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Bringham, who was an accounting coordinator, wrote checks to a fake vendor in order to steal funds from the association.
She also allegedly used another employee’s signature stamp on checks without the employee’s permission, Raoul said.
Bringham stole more than $110,000 in total from the organization while she worked there, Raoul said.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The most serious charge, theft over $100,000, is a Class 1 felony that carries up to 15 years in prison.
“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.
“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,” Raoul added.
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office Public Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case in Lake County Circuit Court.
Bringham was indicted by a grand jury in mid-July and appeared in court Tuesday where she was released on a personal recognizance bond.
She pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court again on September 25 for a case management conference.