Three suspects have been arrested following a local and federal investigation after officials say they stole approximately $700,000 from the Village of Winthrop Harbor.
The Winthrop Harbor Police Department, Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and multiple law enforcement agencies conducted an “extensive” financial crimes investigation resulting in three arrests and dozens of charges.
The Winthrop Harbor Police Department began an investigation in February 2024 into the case.
Village officials reported to the police department about unauthorized transactions involving the Village of Winthrop Harbor’s bank account.
The police department alerted the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Financial Crimes and Public Integrity Division.
The fraudulent transactions, spanning from October 2022 to October 2023, totaled approximately $700,000, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the bank’s fraud department was able to recover and return a significant amount of the funds to the village.
Lake County Criminal Intelligence analysts and financial analysts from HSI assisted detectives in tracking transactions, finding wire transfers, identifying bank accounts linked to the fraudulent activities and identifying multiple suspects who resided outside of Illinois.
Nationwide extraditable warrants were issued for Phillip Sanders, 30, of Memphis, Tennessee; Vanessa Yarbrough, 30, of Memphis, Tennessee; and Patrick Dickens, 32, of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sanders was charged with theft over $500,000, continuing a financial crimes enterprise, misappropriation of financial institution property, money laundering, structuring a transaction and computer fraud.
Yarbrough was charged with theft over $500,000, continuing a financial crimes enterprise, misappropriation of financial institution property, money laundering and structuring a transaction.
Dickens was charged with theft over $500,000, continuing a financial crimes enterprise, misappropriation of financial institution property, money laundering and computer fraud.
All of the charges are felonies and each suspect faces Class X charges, which carry up to 30 years in prison.
Winthrop Harbor detectives and the Memphis Police Department executed search warrants at multiple locations in Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee, on February 27.
The warrants resulted in the arrests of Sanders and Yarbrough and the seizure of evidence. Dickens was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, that same day.
Additional charges are pending against other suspects as the investigation continues.
Winthrop Harbor Police Chief Anthony Velardi said the investigation took approximately a year to complete with “countless hours being dedicated to it.”
“In cases such as these, with a low solvability factor and where suspects are rarely identified, WHPD detectives were able to charge several offenders with numerous felonies. This is a testament to their investigative skills and dedication to their profession,” Velardi said.
“This case would not have had the same outcome without the cooperation of the Lake County State’s Attorneys Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Memphis Police Department, Jackson, TN Police Department, and the Nashville Police Department. I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks for the assistance we received to bring this case to a successful conclusion,” Velardi said.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said the Winthrop Harbor Police Department conducted a “top-notch investigation” and worked with his office so that they can hold the offenders accountable in Illinois.
“Our new Financial Crimes and Public Integrity Division and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to making sure that we protect Lake County residents and taxpayers from such calculated and damaging crimes. But we must continue to invest in our safety infrastructure, and I want to thank the Lake County Board for funding this Unit in 2023,” Rinehart said.
None of the suspects have been extradited back to Lake County yet.