A senior administrator in positions of power within both Dolton and Thornton Township, Illinois, has been hit with bankruptcy fraud charges, federal authorities have disclosed. Keith Douglas Freeman, the 45-year-old accused, allegedly played dirty with his dollars, making false statements to hide his assets and income from creditors when he filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
According to an indictment announced by a crew of federal law enforcement heavy hitters, including Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual and Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Freeman is in deep water with a single count of bankruptcy fraud – an offense that could land him up to five years in the federal pen.
The charges stem from a document Freeman filed on January 3, 2024, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court that conveniently omitted some hefty earnings, including his salaries as Dolton's Village Administrator, Thornton Township's Municipality Manager, and income from his side gig – a private consulting business. The indictment also claimed he kept under wraps a six-figure salary from Dolton and a claim against him by the Village of Robbins for pocketing over $90,000 more than his authorized pay.
Adding to the alleged financial wizardry, Freeman reportedly fronted a forged income tax return indicating he earned a mere $45,186 in 2022, when in fact, he hadn't even filed his returns and his actual earnings were sky-high in comparison. Furthermore, he had the audacity to tell creditors he wasn't on Dolton's payroll, the indictment states. While under oath, yet just weeks later he's accused of funneling funds from Dolton into an undisclosed new bank account.
