A Glenview woman has pleaded guilty to stealing from her job at the Ravinia summer festival and was ordered to pay $230,000 in restitution, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
Michelle Bringham, 39, pleaded guilty to theft of more than $100,000 in Lake County Court in stealing from the Ravinia Festival Association where she worked, according to the AG.
The festival association operates the Ravinia Summer Music Festival in Highland Park, and it also offers community engagement and education programs.
Bringham, who worked as an accounting coordinator, was charged in August 2023, following an FBI investigation. Authorities said she wrote checks to fake vendors in order to steal money. She also used another employee’s signature stamp on checks, the AG’s office said.
As part of a plea, Bringham was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to make $230,000 in restitution. She also will undergo a substance abuse evaluation.
“Anyone who abuses their position of authority for their own financial gain must be held accountable,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “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 said.