Crime & Safety
Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing from Romeoville Church, School
Woman admits to stealing $100,000 over four years.
A former bookkeeper pleaded guilty last week to stealing from a Romeoville church and preschool.
Deborah Suchomel, 51, of the 600 block of Superior Drive, pleaded guilty Friday to felony theft and faces four to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced on Aug. 25.
Suchomel was arrested in December 2013, accused of stealing more than $100,000 from Good Shepherd Church over a four-year period, according to a My Suburban Life report. A police investigation reportedly revealed that Suchomel had been writing checks to herself for cash.
Suchomel was the volunteer bookkeeper for the church's preschool, 25 Alexander Circle, and also served as secretary of the church council, according to Suburban Life. She served in the positions until April 2013, when the church received a notice from the IRS about taxes that were owed. When an investigation showed $24,000 missing from church funds, an outside auditor was hired and discovered $106,000 in missing money, according to police.
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