Des Plaines Elementary School District 62 says an outside fraud scheme diverted about $3.2 million from money meant for a vendor, with $2.4 million already returned or frozen. The district says its employees did not commit criminal acts, while investigators continue working to identify whoever pulled off the scheme. No arrests or charges have been announced.
The disclosure came Thursday in a joint announcement from District 62 and Des Plaines police, as reported by Daily Herald. Officials said the payment never reached the intended recipient, and Police Chief David Anderson described the case as an "external criminal matter." District spokesperson Jennifer Tempest Bova said no district systems or devices were hacked, but officials have not explained how the money was accessed.
For scale, District 62's published unaudited fiscal 2025 expenses totaled about $121.6 million, making the reported loss roughly 2.6% of that figure. The district's financial report also says it has maintained the Illinois State Board of Education's highest financial recognition for 20 years and has held an AA+ bond rating since 2009.
The case is an update to a mystery first acknowledged in June. At the time, Daily Herald reported that unauthorized activity was discovered May 20, although the district had not yet estimated the loss. School officials said then that all district bank accounts had been secured and that police and the bank's fraud team were investigating.
Fraud Disclosure Lands Ahead Of District Budget Reviews
The timing puts the missing money in the middle of the district's regular financial oversight cycle. District 62's published board agenda calls for a review of preliminary 2025-26 financial statements in August and adoption of the 2026-27 budget in September, though officials have not said whether the fraud will affect those plans.
No Arrests Or Charges As FBI Investigation Continues
Based on the figures released so far, about $800,000 remains neither returned nor identified for recovery, assuming the frozen $1.2 million is ultimately recovered. District officials have declined to say how the money was located or recovered, while Des Plaines police and the FBI continue investigating the case.
