A woman has been sentenced to probation and ordered to repay $230,000 that she stole while working for the Ravinia Festival Association in Highland Park.
Michelle Bringham, 39, of Glenview, was charged in August 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 used another employee’s signature stamp on checks without the employee’s permission, Raoul said.
Bringham stole $230,000 in total from the organization while she worked there, Raoul said.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bringham was indicted by a grand jury in mid-July and was released on a personal recognizance bond.
Court records show Bringham entered into a negotiated plea deal on Tuesday.
She pleaded guilty to theft over $100,000, a Class 1 felony that carries up to 15 years in prison.
As part of the plea deal, Bringham was sentenced to two years of probation by Lake County Judge Mark Levitt and ordered to pay $230,000 in restitution to the Ravinia Festival Association.
She was also ordered to undergo a substance abuse evaluation and treatment.
“Anyone who abuses their position of authority for their own financial gain must be held accountable,” Raoul said Tuesday.
“I would like to thank the FBI for their assistance in investigating this case. My office will continue to collaborate with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate financial crimes and hold perpetrators accountable,” Raoul added.
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office Public Integrity Bureau prosecuted the case in Lake County Circuit Court.