After a yearlong investigation, three people have been arrested for stealing more than $700,000 from the village of Winthrop Harbor via unauthorized wire transactions, according to local authorities.
Police say they have identified a number of people in Las Vegas and Memphis who are alleged to have taken part in the ongoing crime. The arrests came after an investigation that began more than a year ago, authorities said.
Winthrop Harbor police began an investigation in February of 2024 after village officials alerted them to unauthorized transactions in the village’s bank account. The transactions ran from October 2022 to October 2023 and totaled $700,000 in illegal transfers, officials said.
The bank’s fraud department was able to recover most of the money, authorities said.
With the aid of local prosecutors and federal agents, detectives were able to track transactions, identify accounts associated with the thefts and name “multiple” suspects, police said.
After Lake County prosecutors approved charges, nationwide arrest warrants were issued for three suspects.
Phillip Sanders, Patrick Dickens and Vanessa Yarbrough were arrested in late February after police executed search warrants in Nashville, Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee, police said.
Additional charges against other suspects are pending, police said.
“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,” Winthrop Harbor Police Chief Anthony Velardi said. “This is a testament to their investigative skills and dedication to their profession.”
The trio initially arrested have been charged with theft, money laundering and financial crimes.
“The Winthrop Harbor Police Department conducted a top-notch investigation and worked with our office so that we can hold these offenders accountable in an Illinois courtroom,” State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said. “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.”