Chicago Cop Accused Of Posing As Ederly Father To Steal Pension
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A Chicago Police officer stole $50,000 from his ailing elderly father to pay off his bills and gambling debts and unsuccessfully attempted to swipe his dad's retirement savings by impersonating him, Cook County prosecutors said Wednesday.
The 69-year-old Kentucky-born Joseph Simpson Sr. died in November at Westmont's ManorCare Health Services where he been placed due to his "severely impaired" state brought on by his dementia and Parkinson's disease, according to court records.
But his namesake son's alleged crimes didn't surface until DuPage County officials continued investigating unpaid bill claims by ManorCare and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Joseph Simpson, Jr., 37, turned himself in to the District 1 police station with his attorney Dan Herbert at his side Wednesday morning, court records show.
Between January and October of 2009, the junior Simpson used 15 checks from his father's bank accounts to pay off bills, prosecutors said.
That year he also allegedly repeatedly called JP Morgan Retirement Services and impersonated his father in hopes of withdrawing his $102,000 in retirement savings.
The only reason the younger Simpson wasn't able to secure the funds is because the check was sent to his father's Kentucky address, prosecutors said, adding that Simpson made "frantic" follow-up calls to get the money sent to his Chicago residence.
Simpson and his brother brought their father to Chicago due to his deteriorating mental condition in 2008, prosecutors said.
The senior citizen lived with Simpson for a few weeks and returned to Chicago in 2009 when officials at LaGrange Hospital determined he needed 24 hours care.
The elder Simpson's sons were named his guardians in 2009, but he didn't want them to be, prosecutors said.
The Simpson brothers eventually had the guardianship taken away.
ManorCare said Medicaid paid for the first two months of Joseph Simpson Sr.'s care but after that, $60,000 worth of bills were rendered delinquent, according to court records.
Herbert said the matter has been resolved and that Simpson has been paying monthly payments to the health care provider.
"If anything he mismanaged some money," Herbert said.
"I'm not sure who the victim is in this case."
Simpson has been charged with several counts of theft, fraud and financial exploitation of the elderly.
He was ordered held in lieu of $40,000 bail Wednesday.
Simpson, a police officer since the late 1990s, has been relieved of his police powers, Herbert said.
The South Loop resident had last worked in the 18th District. Simpson graduated from Lyons Township High School and Southern Illinois University.
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