The husband of a woman involved in an ongoing boat rental controversy on the Chain O’ Lakes has been charged with forgery after turning in fake documents to a state waterway agency to try and rent boats on the Chain O’ Lakes in 2024.
Steven Wooden, 41, of the 41000 block of North Westlake Avenue in unincorporated Antioch, was arrested and charged with one Class 3 felony count of forgery for being part of a paperwork scam while attempting to rent boats Anchor Pointe Marina, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.
Steven Wooden is the husband of Kristen Wooden, owner of ‘The Boatyard’ in unincorporated Antioch, which has had numerous run-ins with the law and customers on the Chain O’ Lakes in 2023.
Covelli said the Fox Waterway Agency has suspended the commercial use permits for Anchor Pointe Marina – also known as AP Marine – located at 42125 North 4th Avenue in unincorporated Antioch, owned by Steven Wooden.
Covelli said the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) must receive boat rental license applications from any marina intending to rent boats on the Chain O’ Lakes. Then, he said, the Illinois Department of verifies each boat listed in the applications is worthy of being used for commercial purposes.
Following those reviews, the IDNR stamps and signs official forms and sends it back to the rental person or company, Covelli said.
Companies intending to rent boats on the Chain O’ Lakes and Fox River must submit the IDNR paperwork to the Fox Waterway Agency in Fox Lake so the forms can be verified and ensure compliance to ensure the boats are safe for users, Covelli said.
Steven Wooden submitted IDNR paperwork to the Fox Waterway Agency on April 17 and applied for Fox Waterway commercial use stickers for dozens of boats at Anchor Pointe Marina – also known as AP Marina in unincorporated Antioch, Covelli said.
The purpose of turning in the documents was so Anchor Pointe Marina could rent the boats to patrons during the 2024 Chain O’Lakes boating season, Covelli said.
The forms submitted by Steven Wooden initially appeared to have been approved and signed by the IDNR or a registered agent, Covelli said.
In response, the Fox Waterway Agency issued 26 rental stickers to Steven Wooden under the belief the IDNR forms were valid, Covelli said.
Upon further inspection, however, it was determined the IDNR never issued the forms Steven Wooden provided to the Fox Waterway Agency, Covelli said.
Through the investigation, Covelli said it was determined Steven Wooden submitted forged documents to the Fox Waterway Agency in order to rent boats to customers on the Chain O’ Lakes.
Members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Unit conducted the investigation, then reviewed the facts and circumstances of the investigation with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office who approved the charge of forgery against Steven Wooden, Covelli said.
Steven Wooden was arrested without incident Wednesday and transported to the Lake County Jail where he remains held pending First Appearance Court Thursday morning, Covelli said.
This is just the latest in a string of problems for the Woodens, the owners of “The Boatyard” in unincorporated Antioch.
Steven Wooden’s wife, Kristen, 37, of Antioch, was arrested in July, 2023, following a confrontation with a boat renter at The Boatyard involving an accident with a double-decker pontoon boat.
During an argument with the renters, Kristen Wooden grabbed the phone of a customer and threw it into the water while deputies were on the scene regarding the crash. Kristen Wooden was charged with criminal damage to property because of the incident.
Following that arrest, several victims came forward indicating they had been scammed by Kristen Wooden, Covelli said.
In early September, Lake and McHenry County Scanner reported that the sheriff’s office launched a criminal investigation into Kristen Wooden for financial crimes and executed a search warrant at her business.
Covelli said shortly after the Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Unit conducted an investigation into the allegations and found Kristen Wooden also committed forgery as she submitted false documents when completing her business’ 2023 boat rental license application to the State of Illinois, Covelli said.
At the time, she submitted documents certifying that her fleet of boats was inspected by an independent boat repair service and was in safe and operable condition, Covelli said.
The certification had the name and signature of the manager of the independent repair center, Covelli said.
The investigation revealed Kristen Wooden never had her fleet inspected by the independent repair center and she forged the signature of the manager of the center, Covelli said.
Around Labor Day Weekend, the Fox Waterway Agency suspended The Boatyard’s commercial watercraft privileges for numerous violations and non-compliance.
After being made aware her boats were no longer allowed to be rented, sheriff’s marine unit deputies observed a boat owned by the business traversing the Chain O’Lakes.
Marine unit deputies stopped the boat and learned the occupants had just paid to rent the boat from ‘The Boatyard.’ A social media post circulated and an individual arrived at the scene claiming he had recently purchased the boat from ‘The Boatyard’ without a title, Covelli said.
The victim had documentation proving he was the owner of the boat, but ‘The Boatyard’ had no authority to sell the boat.
Covelli said it was determined Kristen Wooden sold the victim the boat but refused to provide him with the boat’s title.
Another victim on July 17 rented a boat from ‘The Boatyard’ but the boat began experiencing mechanical issues while on the Chain O’Lakes. They returned it to ‘The Boatyard’ where Wooden disputed the victim’s claims.
The victim returned to the boat and left and Kristen Wooden unlawfully charged over $225 to the victim’s credit card, Covelli said.
Another victim on July 31 rented a boat from ‘The Boatyard’ that was in poor operating condition. When the victim returned the boat, they informed ‘The Boatyard’ staff of some of the defects of the boat, then wrote a negative review about the experience on the Internet.
Kristen Wooden decided to charge the victim’s credit card $500 despite the issues with the boat, authorities said.
Another victim, who had prior knowledge of boats, rented a boat from ‘The Boatyard’ on August 19 and immediately recognized an issue with the boat’s propeller and returned with the boat to speak with Kristen Wooden.
The woman was already in a heated argument with another patron and told the victim that if he did not leave, she was going to call police, Covelli said.
Covelli said Kristen Wooden later charged the victim’s credit card for extra cars being parked on her property, the damaged propeller and for “criminal damage to property.”
Sheriff’s marine unit deputies reviewed all those cases with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office who approved charges of forgery, unlawful possession of a certificate of title and three counts of theft. The most serious charge is a Class 3 felony.
Deputies arrested Kristen Wooden on the warrant without incident and was ordered released from jail because the charges were not detainable under the Illinois SAFE-T Act.
The judge placed Kristen Wooden on Level 1 pre-trial services conditions and ordered her to have no contact with numerous people involved in the case.
Covelli warned in the latest incident involving Anchor Pointe Marina – also doing business as AP Marina: AP Marina and Anchor Point Marina are not authorized to rent boats on the Chain O’ Lakes in 2024.