3 charged with stealing $700,000 from Village of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois

Three people were arrested on theft and money laundering charges, accused of stealing $700,000 from the Village of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, near the Wisconsin state line.

Phillip Sanders, Vanessa Yarbrough, and Patrick Dickens all have been charged with one count each of theft, continuing financial crimes enterprise, misappropriation of financial institution property, and money laundering. Sanders and Dickens also both face a charge of computer fraud, and Sanders and Yarbrough both face a charge of structuring a transaction.

Lake County prosecutors said Wintrhop Harbor police began an investigation in February 2024, after village officials learned of several unauthorized transactions involving the village's bank account.

In total, investigators discovered a total of $700,000 in fraudulent transactions spanning from October 2022 to October 2023. After tracking down wire transfers and bank accounts linked to the fraudulent transactions, police identified multiple suspects in Las Vegas and Memphis.

On Feb. 27, Winthrop Harbor detectives and police in Memphis executed search warrants at multiple homes in Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee, resulting in the arrests of Sanders and Yarbrough. Dickens was arrested the same day in Nashville.

It was not immediately clear if the three defendants have yet been brought to Illinois to face their charges in court.

Prosecutors said additional charges were pending against other suspects.