Lake County Gazette

North Chicago City Alderman Anthony D. Coleman has been charged with official misconduct and criminal damage to government-supported property, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.

State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart stated, "Coleman gained access to the water plant as a public official and destroyed an appropriate and legal camera system. This defendant doesn’t get to overrule the City Council by destroying government property," as per a press release from his office.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office press release further detailed that Coleman was accused in a two-count indictment of knowingly damaging a surveillance video system at the North Chicago Water Treatment Plant on Aug. 8, 2023. The Financial Crimes & Public Integrity Unit of the Lake County State's Attorney's Office conducted an investigation and allegedly discovered that Coleman had cut the wires to a video camera in the plant and removed it. It was noted that the City Council had approved this camera installation earlier in 2023.

The charges were officially filed in court on March 13, as mentioned in the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office press release. The first court appearance for Coleman has been scheduled for April 4 at 9 a.m.

According to another update from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office press release, Chief Kevin Berrill and ASA Russell Caskey of the Financial Crimes & Public Integrity Unit will be responsible for prosecuting the case.